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have, but he was attended with | lanimity and stupid apathy. He multitudes of patients, who asked was firm without obstinacy, and humble without meanness.

and obtained healing of soul and body. There was more true greatness in this than if he had been attended with crouds of princes. He made the dumb to sing his praise, and the lame to leap for joy; the deaf to hear his wonders; and the blind to see his glory. He had no guard of soldiers, nor magnificent retinue of servants: but, as the centurion, who had both, acknowledged, health and sickness, life and death, waited on his command. Even the winds and storms, which no earthly power can controul, obeyed him; and death and the grave durst not refuse to deliver up their prey when He demanded it.

The life of Christ has none of those unequalities in it which it is the delight of the orator to paint, and of the philosopher to analize. The unaffected deportment which he invariably preserved, without painful exertion, and without insidious design; the consistency between each particular action and each particular situation; the conformity of all his actions to one common rule, the word of God, and their uniform tendency to promote the salvation of mankind; may be explored by the profound moralist, must be admired by every pious mind, but cannot be described without a In the life of Christ, every grace portion of that matchless simplithat can recommend religion, and city with which they are recorded every virtue that can adorn hu- by the inspired evangelists. Too manity, are so blended as to excite plain for ornament, and too grand our admiration and engage our for illustration, the character of love; and his character, by ex-Jesus leaves at a distance the hibiting the most striking and il-powers of language. Surrounded lustrious representation of "what-with the meanest circumstances, ever things are true, just, or of good report," claims our praise by its own intrinsic excellence. In it we discover nothing that can create suspicion or excite aversion; but a thousand excellencies, which the hardiest enemies of the gospel are compelled to approve. All that negative virtue can secure, and all ⚫ that positive merit can attain, appear to have been united with equal lustre in this lovely and venerable pattern of christian imitation. There is a variety in his THE questions which MINIMUS virtues which never shocks proba- has submitted for consideration bility, and at the same time there (New Evang. Mag. p. 15.), and is an uniformity which never creates from which, I presume, he intends satiety. His courage was active in that we should infer something of encountering the dangers to which the present state of his own mind he was exposed, and passive under as to spiritual concerns, are highly the aggravated calamities which deserving of an answer. They are the malice of his enemies heaped sufficiently descriptive of a case upon him. Yet his fortitude was which is far from being uncommon remote from every appearance of among religious people in the rashness, and his patience was present day, and it is not imequally exempt from abject pusil-possible that, if the following hints

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and at the same time distinguished by the most important and astonishing events, it seems to baffle equally by its humility and its majesty, all the feeble efforts of human eloquence.

OMICRON'S REPLY

TO THE

QUERIES OF MINIMUS.

upon the subject should afford any relief to his mind, some other readers may be also benefited by them.

my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

But the second question is not so readily dispatched; and to return a judicious answer to it, is a task which I believe requires no little skill in dividing the word of truth. Many professed christian teachers would tell MINIMUS that he must call to mind his past experience, when he felt the light of the divine countenance lifted up upon him, enjoyed many precious Bethel visits, and basked in the sunshine of the divine favour. They would persuade him that these things prove his interest in the covenant of grace, and that consequently, though destitute of all present spiritual consolation, he must hold fast his confidence, and appropriate to himself all the promises that are made to the children of God! Such is the present prevailing mode of directing professors to seek a renewal of their comfort; but it appears to me utterly at variance with all that the Scriptures teach on this

The first question, "Can that person be a hypocrite who wishes not to be one?" has, in all probability, arisen from that state of barrenness and desertion of mind which is evidently implied in the second. The querist, I conclude, has formerly walked in the ways of God, and enjoyed a sense of the divine favour, of which he is at present deprived; and therefore he infers that his character must be either that of a hypocrite, or a backslider. Against admitting the former, there is this objection, that he has no wish to impose upon any one, by appearing to be that which in reality he is not. And if MINIMUS has the testimony of his own conscience that this last is his case, I certainly think that the imputation of hypocrisy is out of the question; for I am decidedly of opinion that the first query, according to the terms in which it is stated, must be answered in the negative. At the same time, how-subject. ever, that I say this, I cannot help Admitting MINIMUS to be in adding, that a state of mind in the state which his second question which there exists no wish to ap- supposes; that is, one who has pear in the eyes of our fellow-lost the enjoyment of the divine creatures better than we really favour, and desires to be restored appear in the sight of HIM who to it, I would beg leave to submit "searches the reins and tries the to his consideration the following heart," falls to the lot of very few, things. if any, in this imperfect state. It is unquestionably the duty of Christians to be sincere and without guile or dissimulation. But I believe the most advanced saint in this world will often find occasion to confess his short-coming in this, as well as other respects, and to say with the Psalmist, "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults; keep back thy servant also from pre-rendering him a fitter object of the sumptuous sins!—then shall I be divine favor than he previously was. upright." And upon another occa- It is lamentable to think that the sion, "Search me, O God, and religion of thousands in the present know my heart, try me and know day has no better foundation than

1. Let him retire into his closet and carefully examine, what it was that first gave him hope towards God, and consequently conveyed into his mind what he calls a sense of the divine favour? Was it any favourable change in himself, any good desires, fervent wishes, or pious resolutions-any work of grace wrought in him, as he supposes, by the Holy Spirit; thereby

these things. Like the Pharisee | And wherever the same truth is of old, they can "thank God that really understood and cordially they are not as other men;" and believed, it must produce similar from this presumption arises all effects in the mind. It is manitheir hope for time and eternity. fest, however, from the whole New And, built as it is upon so pre-Testament, that no professor can carious a foundation as their own have any satisfactory evidence of frames and feelings, it is no wonder his interest in the covenant of that their joys and consolations grace, unless he be living by the should partake of all the fluctua-faith of the Son of God, enjoying tions of their unsteady principle. in some degree the consolations of The greatest favour that can be the gospel in his soul, and bringing conferred on such professors is to forth the fruits of it in his life and undeceive them, and lead their conversation; nor ought others to minds to the glorious ground of think it of him. hope revealed in the gospel.

2. MINIMUS Would do well to inquire, what it is that he has received for truth or for the gospel. What are his views of the person, character, and work of Christ? Does he believe on the Son of God? Or, to come still more closely to the point-Is he fully persuaded in his own mind that God is well pleased in his beloved Son;-so well pleased as to require nothing on the part of any sinner under heaven to introduce him into the enjoyment of his favour but a belief of the truth? Is MINIMUS aware that this is the very hinge or turning point of Christianity! For, what is a Christian? Is he not one who, in opposition to all the various ways in which unbelievers are seeking to please God and recommend themselves to his favour, is persuaded on divine evidence that God is already well pleased in the sacrifice of his Son. This is the all-important truth proved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (Rom. i. 4.) and what constitutes the very essence of the gospel (1 Cor. xv. 1-4.); to which the apostles in all their preaching bore witness (Mark xvi. 15.); and with the belief of which eternal life is connected. (John xx. 31. iii. 14—17.) In believing this truth the first Christians were filled with peace and joy. (Acts viii. 5, 8. xiii. 52. 1 Pet. i. 8.)

3. But the question will here be moved by MINIMUS, "May not one who has known and believed the truth, and rejoiced in it, backslide from the ways of God, and lose the sensible enjoyment of the divine favour; and what means should such a person adopt in order to be restored to that enjoyment?" In answer to this, I remark, that it is unquestionably true, that one who has known the truth and rejoiced in it, may lose that enjoyment, and have his mind filled with darkness. Various things may occasion this. He may be overcome by the power of temptation, and fall into sin, as David did; and to suppose when such is the case, that he can enjoy the comfortable sense of the divine favour, is just as absurd as it would be to expect the sun to shine at midnight! There are many other things too that may produce darkness and distress in the mind of a professor. A selfrighteous spirit has a natural tendency to produce this-an undue attachment to the things of this world-and even the pressure of affliction and distress may so harrass the mind as to occasion it. But without further enlarging on this, let us attend to the question, "What is the scriptural source of relief under such circumstances?" Can a reflection upon his past experience relieve the present distressed mind of the backslider?

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So far from it, that if he has just | riches of his grace, the infinite views of his situation, it will rather value of his sacrifice, and the perenhance his distress, and he will fection of his righteousnessbe induced to fear that he re- have no life in us. The institusembles the ground which, though tions of the gospel are all divinely often rained upon, brought forth calculated to promote this valuable nothing but briars and thorns, end upon us-to encrease Our which is rejected and nigh unto knowledge, strengthen our faith, cursing, whose end is to be burned. confirm our hope, and quicken our What then can relieve his mlnd? languid affections: and, "Blessed Why that which at first gave him is the man that heareth Wisdom, relief, when he was sitting in dark-watching daily at her gates, waitness and the shadow of death-ing at the posts of her doors; for the divine blood of the Son of whoso findeth her findeth life, and God, shed for the remission of the shall obtain favour of the Lord." sins of many (Zech. xiii. 1. 1 John i. 9.) this can do it effectually, and nothing else! The gospel which at first encouraged his hope

ON

OMICRON.

ARISING FROM

THE WORKS OF CREATION.

To the Editor of the New Evangelical
Magazine.

SIR,

in the mercy of God, still stands THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD firm as a sanctuary for the wretched of every class, and invites their confidence. But it relieves backsliders on no other footing than it relieved Saul of Tarsus, and the dying thief (1 Tim. i. 15. Luke xxiii. 40.) that is, of mere grace and mercy. Thus the backslider finds relief in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever for the truth concerning HIM, as delivered for the offences of the guilty, and raised again for their justification, with the promise of salvation to every one that believes in his glorious grace, ever remains as a sanctuary for the distressed, and an anchor of hope for the wretched.

4. MINIMUS should carefully guard against mistaken views of divine ordinances. Many professors are looking for some immediate, special manifestations of the love of God to their soul through the medium of these ordinances, which I conceive to be altogether delusive and visionary. The christian life is a life of faith upon the Son of God; and unless we are daily eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ; that is, feasting our souls upon the doctrines of the gospel, realizing the glories of his character, the

In reading the popular arguments which are usually urged in proof of the existence of the Deity, I feel a dissatisfaction, arising from what in them to me appears an inconclusiveness, which, if unnecessary, I shall be obliged to the Author of the paper on this subject, in the first number, p. 13, of your new work, or to any other Correspondent, to remove from my mind. It is perhaps a very difficult thing for one who has been born and educated in a christian country, to place himself, in idea, in the precise condition of a man, to whom no knowledge whatever, from divine revelation, has been, at any time, conveyed: and yet it is apparent that this difficulty must be surmounted, before a correct estimate, of the unassisted powers of human reason, to gather the knowledge either of the Being or per fections of God from the works of creation, can be formed. If, then, I am right in supposing that it is

the object of such arguments to sun, no stoppage, irregularity, or shew that this knowledge is ob- decay in the system. If then he tainable from reason and nature, pause here, he will conclude, with independent of revelation, I in- one sect of philosophers, that quire, from what process of rea-matter is eternal; that what we soning would an unaided mind call the faculties of the mind, derive the certain conclusion, that are attributes of some subtle mothere is a God? And, what nation dification of matter (for he can or individual to whom revelation have no idea of a spiritual subhas given no notice, and with stance), and, that, if there needs whom no tradition remains, is to be intelligence employed in gobe found in the faith or worship verning and superintending the of a spiritual Being, who is in- world, and in organizing and susfinite, eternal, and unchangeable taining vegetable and animal life, in his nature and perfections? it is a part of the universe, which For such is the Deity; and, unless influences the rest, in some such it can be proved that an adequate way, as he is conscious of his and accurate idea of Him is fur-own mind influencing his body: nished by a rational observation of agreeing with the atheistical sentihis works, it may, I think, be safely ment of Pope in his poetical Essay inferred, that God never designed on Man:

whole, Whose body nature is, and God the soul."

But, I presume, it will not here be contended, because the name of Deity is applied to this fancied intelligence, that it is the same thing to attain the knowledge of the existence of God, as to arrive at the foregoing conclusion. This would be merely to take advantage of the imperfection or abuse of language; and, at the same time, to allow a latitude in the application of the divine name which would include alike the sun, moon, and stars; the earth, air, fire, and water; Jupiter, and all his companions; crocodiles, onions, and vermin; iron, wood, and stone; and Jehovah, the only living and true God.

to make himself known by them" All are but parts of one stupendous at all; for it is not to be supposed as compatible with his character, that either he should be satisfied with the errors and misconceptions of his creatures, with respect to all that it is most important and necessary for them to know, both for their own good and for their Maker's glory; or, that he should himself propose the very premises from which only mistaken notions of a vain and useless religion could be deduced by the most vigorous and persevering efforts of the human understanding. With respect to the former inquiry, let it be imagined that a man, otherwise well instructed, shall have lived from his infancy entirely cut off from all information derived, in any way, from the Scriptures, or tradition, and that he is concerned to know whence he is; and, how originated all that surrounds him. -He contemplates himself, the earth, the sky.-He knows not how long these objects have existed, for none of his race had ever given account of a time when they did not exist. He knows not that they shall ever have an end, for he perceives no wearing out of nature's wheels, no languor in the

Let it then be supposed that our imaginary inquirer is dissatisfied with these results; and, that in reflecting on the nature of time. and motion, and on the evidence of adaptation and design throughout the universe, he, at last becomes persuaded that all things have had a beginning; and, therefore, that there was a great, wise, and powerful cause, prior to the existence of his species, to the

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