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THE 
 
 CHRISTIAFS MSTRUCTOR. 
 
 CONTAXNIHO A StTSIMARr 
 
 EXPLANATION AND DEFENCE 
 
 DOCTRINES AND DUTIES 
 
 CHRISTIAN RELIGION. 
 
 BY REV. JOSIAH JIOPKINS, D. D.. 
 
 Late Pastor of the Firet PreabySrian Church, Auburn, N. Y. 
 
 " To the law and to ths teatimony. — "Iiaiah. 
 
 THIBO EDITION — REVISED AND ENURGED. 
 
 . AUBURN, N. Y. : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY J. C. DERBY & CO. : 
 
 NEW-YOEK! M.H.NKWMAN&CO.; CINCINNATI : DERBY, BKADLEY& CO. 
 
 1847. 
 
Ekterkd sccorfhig to set of ConEwss in ihe Clerk's Offio of the Northern 
 District of New York, by 
 
 J. C. DERBY k CO., 
 ia the yew of our Lord one thoueand eight hundred *nd forty-'ix. 
 
 ItBHaT OLlPtUMf, ^RlHTiiK, AifBVRN. 
 
PUBLISHERS' NOTICE. 
 
 The Third Edition of Rev. Dr. Hopkins' valuable manual of 
 Christian Doctrines ar^d Dutie.1, being called for, the publishers 
 most earnestly solicit the aid, not only of Clergymen but Lay 
 Christians, in extending the circulation and study of this most ex- 
 cellent work; agreeing as we do with the venerable Dr. Beecher, 
 that, "it is a concise, accurate and just Exposition of the Doctrine* 
 arid Duties of the Bible, and that it is better adapted to the exigencies 
 of Families, Churches, Bible Classes and Sabbath Schools, than any 
 other epitomized work within [purl my judgment equal to it." 
 
 RECOMMENDATIONS. 
 
 FroTn Rev. Dr. Hickak, Auburn Theological Setmnary. 
 
 I hare •zamined with much interest and some carefulness, Dr. Hspkins' Qhristian'a 
 Inatructor, and would hi few words express my conviction ofita merit*. Tha<worl[ goes 
 over the whole field of systematic Theology, and sp condenses its statements and argu- 
 ments as t* leave very few points of Doctrinal discussion unnoticed. The definitions 
 are clear and concise, and the proofs direct and convincing. It constitutes a compact 
 hody of Divinity, Evangelical and Orthsdox comprising the grand truths w^ich belongr 
 to "the faith once delivered to the Saints," Its admirable brevity, consistoit with per- 
 ■picuity, strongly recommends it to Bible Glasses, Families, and individuals who can- 
 not command the time necessary for the study, or afford the expense of^ larger Trea- 
 tises. ' To all persona in places destitute of llie regular slated preaching of the gospel, 
 the book must be invaluable. Is. F. HICKOK, 
 
 Auburn, April 17th, 1846. Fiof. of Christian Theojdgy, Auburn. 
 
 FromReo. Dr. HaUey, late Prof, in Au6um ThtologiedL Seminart/. 
 
 MuicmBTBii, (near Pittsburgh.) 6th July, 184S. 
 
 DsAA'Siss^Understanding that you are about to re-publish " TheyOhrislian's InMruc- 
 tor," by the Rev. Josiah Hopkins, D. D., of Auburn, N. Y., it gives me pleasure to add 
 my cordial approbation of your undertaking. In the West there^ veems to be want of 
 some '• family book," on the great Doctrines and Duties of Reli^on, and I know of no 
 volume so well adapted to such an ofike. , The superficial experience and instability 
 of character, so much lamented in modem professors is owing', 1 am persuaded, to little 
 study of the system of Bible doctrines. Attempts to bring tnem more before the public 
 mind, ought to be encouraged. 
 
 J. C. DsBBY t Co. Yours truly, LUTHER HAI5EY. 
 
 From Rev. Dr. Beecher^ Preaident af Lane Seminary. 
 
 1 have read with attention and pleasure the concise, accurate and just expositioa of 
 the Doctrines and Duties of the Bible by my friend the Rev. .Tosiah Hopkins. 
 
 It is in style, plain, chaste, lamiliar, dignified, coocilialing, and yet argumentative, 
 convincing and scriptural. •' j n ■ 
 
 It is adapted to the exigeneies of Families, Churches, Sabbath Schools and Bibla 
 Classes, and I am not acquainted with any epitomized view that is in my ji^sment 
 equal to it. I therefore commend it cheerfully to Pasters and Churches and Sabbath 
 Sthools and Bible Classes, and to all, who amid endljss misrepreaenUlions may da- 
 sire to know, what the real doctrines and duties of the Bible are. • „__„„„„ 
 
 Um SemiBsry, Uarth 20, IMS. LYUAN B£ECHEEL 
 
IV RECOMMENDATIONS. 
 
 From R&D. Dr. Dickinson, 
 
 The Christianas Instructor, by the Rev. Josiah Honkins, D. D i« a well arranged out 
 line of Christian doctirine and duty. It is clear, comprehensive, and yet concise in 
 statement, explanation and argument. The work is in a form highly adapted to general 
 circulation, and cannot fail to be useful. 
 
 Auburn Theolcgical Seminary, March 24th, 1846. B. DICKINSON. 
 
 From Dr. Mussey. 
 
 "With great pleasure I have read the Christian's Instructor, by Rev. Josiah Hopkins, 
 D. D., a small volume, exhilJiting a clear, condensed view of the leadmg Doctrines of 
 Christianity ; and I can most cordially recommend it to the careful perusal of every 
 sincere enqairer after religious truth, 
 
 Cincinnati, April 19th, 1345, R. D. MUSSEY, M. D. 
 
 FTom Rev. Dr. Clevelatid, Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Churth, Cincin- 
 nati, Ohio. 
 Rev. J. Hopkins, D. D, — Dear Brother ; Having learned that you are about to re-pub- 
 lish your 'Christian's Instructor,' I am most cordial in the expression of jny great gratir 
 fication at the prospect of its extended and continued circulation. I deem it to have 
 been happily designated, and for a three-fold reason. It is a Christian's Instructor, 
 first because it teaches christian truth, and nothing else ; secondly because it teaches th£ 
 Christian how to become a better one; thirdly because it teaches the sinner how to 
 become a Christian, and it does it all well. When sound doctrinal instruction is deman- 
 ded to coariteract, ftot only iwsitive error, but also all those superficial and misleading 
 books, which contain " nothing in particular," your well written little manual promisM 
 much good. The Lofd bless you in the attempt, and in all things, prays your Edfeclion- 
 ale brother, J. P. CLEAVELAND. 
 
 From Rev. Dr. Stawe of Lane Seminary. 
 The Christian's Instructor, by Rev. J. Hopkins, D. D., is an excellent exhibitien 
 and defence of the leadmg doctrines and principles of the gospel as generally understood 
 by orthodox Congregationalists and moderate PiEsbyterians. It is highly desirable that 
 the work should be in the hands of all our church members, and especially of the Eldera 
 and Deacons, who very much need a manual like this, drawn up in a style, judicious, 
 
 plain and directly to the point. The work has my hearty approbation. 
 
 C. E. STOWE. 
 
 From Rev. Professor Allen. 
 
 Lane Seminary, April lOlh, 1-845. 
 Dear Sir— I have read the " Christian's Instructor," with great pleasure, The 
 doctrines and duties of the gospel system are statad with remarkable clearness and ac- 
 curacy, and sustained by arguments at once luminous, comprehensive and conclusive. 
 It is an excellent work to put into the hands of young Christians, and to be taught to 
 our children with theiy catechisms. "While so many " winds of doctrine " are blow- 
 ing among the churclies, Christians need oxdeedineh' just such an Instructor that they 
 be "steadfast and unmoveable." Yours truly, D. H. ALLEN, Prof. Sac. Rhet. &c. 
 
 From Rev. Samuel H. Cox, D. D. 
 
 The GhrisItian's Instructor, by Rev. Josiah Hopkins, D. D., of Aubum, N. Y., 
 has been in my libraty for years, and it is by me highly valued. As a compendium of 
 revealed truth and duty, instructively arranged and well digested, with correct theolo- 
 gical discriminations, faithful, Scriptural, and complete, I regard it as a rich specimen 
 of primitive and genuine Christianity, and well adapted to be useful in our times and 
 places as American christians. It avoids all ultraisms ; especially the opposite ex- 
 tremes of reckless radicalizing on the one hand, and a cloaking and cowardly conserva- 
 tism on the other; and presents the beautiful and the impregnable of christian truth in 
 its excellent symmairy with the simple and the sublime of the Word of God. As such 
 I cordially commend it to the perusal and patronage of all American christians. 
 
 Brooklyn, May 8, 1845. SAMUEL HANSON COX. 
 
 In the above commendation of Rev. Dr. Cox, I cordially concur.' 
 New York, May 8,^1845. WILLIAM FATTON, D. D. 
 
AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 Books have became so numerous, and the announcement of a 
 new publication an event so common, that unless an author can 
 promise something entirely new, either in the matter of his publi- 
 cation, or in its arrangement, he is considered as making an unrea- 
 sonable demand on the public if he expect his book to be read. The 
 author of the following work, while he would hold out no very 
 flattering promises of this kind, deems it his duty to state some of 
 the reasons by which he was led to undertake it. Being repeatedly 
 favored with an opportunity to witness the interest which is taken 
 by Christians in general in the examination of men for Kcensuie or 
 ordination, he was led to inquire whether a work which should 
 exhibit little more than what is exhibited on these occasions, might not 
 command so much interest as to be in many respects useful. Had 
 it not been for the solicitation of friends on whose judgment he 
 could not but place the most unshaken confidence, such a work 
 would have been the extent of his endeavors. It is however a pain- 
 ful, but Well known fact, that the information of common Christians 
 does not keep pace with the increase of books. It is ttue that their op- 
 portunities for obtaining books are far fcetter than those enjoyed by 
 their fathers ; but their books in general seem better adapted to the 
 student than to the common Christian. Both on account of their own 
 enjoyment and their usefulness in the world, they need clear and 
 definite views of truth ; but most of the books on the doctrines and 
 practice of Christianity at the present day, with their opportunities 
 to read and examine, are not adapted to furnish them. Where a 
 single branch of a subject is spread through a volume, it cannot be 
 expected that men who have but little to spare can be pursuaded to 
 purchase books of this kind sufficient to a&rd them any kind of a 
 knowledge of their own faith, much less that definite and concise 
 knowledge which they need. Neither will those who are favored 
 with competent teachers, while their minds are burdened with the 
 cares and concerns of the present world, be able to remember from 
 one week to another, so as to see the connection and agreement 
 between the different parts of the system. The consequences are, 
 while the present age is fruitful in devices designed as weapon* 
 I* 
 
VI AUTHOR S PREFACr. 
 
 with -which to oppose the truth, Christians are unarmed. They 
 may have a confidence that their teachers are able to defend their 
 faith, and that they have seen the conclusiveness of their arguments ; 
 but this confidence is of but little service as it respects their influ- 
 ence on others, so long as the arguments are not within their reach, 
 and cannot be wielded by them. Not only so, but the great body 
 of Christians have but little time to read. If their libraries contained 
 a competent number of these books, they would not be able to read 
 sufficiently to obtain those views which we have mentioned. An- 
 other of the consequences of this state of things is, some real Chris- 
 tians are bewildered and led away, where they are exposed to the 
 buffetings of error. Others who were once sensible to the influence 
 of truth, and seemed in a fair way to become Christians, are led to 
 embrace errors that extinguish almost every ray of hope in their 
 case. Through the whole of this work the object has been to 
 present the system of truth before the mind of the reader in a man- 
 ner as plain, as concise, and yet as conclusive as possible. It has 
 appeared more important to give the substance of the best arguments, 
 rather than a multiplicity of them, or a few drawn out to a great 
 length. In this way the author has constantly endeavored to com- 
 pass his prominent design — to give the system of truth, and the 
 arguments by which it is supported, in a manner so brief and defi- 
 nite, that both the labor of reading it so as to understand it, and the 
 expense, may be within the power of common people. 
 
 A free use has been made of the works which are named at the 
 close of the different subjects. Others have been consulted, but the 
 substance of the various subjects is taken from those that are men- 
 tioned. To expect, in a work like this, to meet the minds of all, 
 even of those who imbibe substantially the sentiments of the author, 
 would be vain in the extreme. From various causes different senti- 
 ments will appear the most important to different persons ; of course, 
 it is impossible that all should be satisfied with the degree of attention 
 that has been paid to each. The whole work has been written 
 under a deep sense of the delicacy of such an undertaking, and of 
 the utter impossibility, especially for one in the circumstances of 
 the author, to accomplish it without exposing himself to criticism. 
 He is not unwilling, however, to own that he has cherished an ex- 
 pectation which has afforded him no inconsiderable support under 
 all the trials and embarrassments he has felt. He has flattered 
 himself that a large class of Christians and other inquirers after 
 truth may be enlightened, and lastingly benefitted by his labors, not- 
 withstanding their imperfections. 
 
 New Haven, October 13, 1825. 
 
INDEX OF SUBJECTS. 
 
 Natural Religion, pass 13 
 
 Tnitli of Revelation, * 20 
 
 Perfections of God, , 44 
 
 Unity of God, Dirinity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit 52 
 
 VniverealGovemment of God, 65 
 
 Moral Government of God 81 
 
 Character of Man, 90 
 
 Atonement, 103 
 
 Regeneration 116 
 
 Natural Ability, 1S3 
 
 Election, 159 
 
 Perseverance of the Saints, 163 
 
 MeanB of Grace, 180 
 
 Consequences of Death 139 
 
 Future Punishment, 202 
 
 Institutions of tlie Gospel: Christian Sabbath, 230 
 
 Baptism 252 
 
 The Lord's Supper, 285 
 
 Christian Church 301 
 
 CaU to Preach 324 
 
 Conformity to the World, 333 
 
INDEX. 
 
 SEC. I. NATDEAL KELIGION. PAeB. 
 Question 1 , What are we to understand by natural religion ? 13 
 
 2. In what respects ia this religion deficient ? ■ '3 
 
 3. What eTidence docs the light of nature afford of the existence of God ! 14 
 
 i. Hae not the world, &c. existed from eternity? • 18 
 
 SEC. n. TRUTH OP REVELATION. 
 
 1. What evidence hare we that 6cd has given to our world, a revelation of his will! 20 
 
 2. What is meant by inspiration ?.. *.-....- *...... 39 
 
 3. With what kind of inspiration were the Scriptures given ? 40 
 
 4. Are there not some contradictions in the Bible ? 40 
 
 6. Does not the apostle Paul intimate that he gave some directions without the in- 
 fluence of the Spirit . . . , 41 
 
 6. What evidence have we that the Scriptures have not been corrupted by transla- 
 
 tors, &c.? - 41 
 
 7. Wb»t evidence have we that the whole Bible is inspired ! 42 
 
 SEC. III. PERFECTIONS OF GOD. 
 
 1. What are the attributes of God ? 44 
 
 2. Is it not said in somepassages, that God repented? 45 
 
 3. What are the moral perfections of God ? 48 
 
 SEC. IV. UNITY OF GOD, DIVINITY OF CHRIST AND THE HOLY 
 SPIRIT. 
 
 1. What evidence have we that there is but one God? 52 
 
 2. What is meant by the doctrine of the Trinity ? 52 
 
 3. What do we understand by the word person, as it is used in reference to this 
 
 subject?..., , 52 
 
 4. What evidence have we tiiat such a distinction exists ? 58 
 
 6. What evidence have we that Christ is the true God ? 64 
 
 6. Is he not represented in some passages as inferior to the Father? 59 
 
 7. What evidence have we of the distinct personality of the Holy Spirit? 61 
 
 8. What proof have we that the Holy Spirit is God ! 63 
 
 SEC. T. inxrVERSAL GOVERNIVIENT OF GOD. 
 
 1. What is meant by the universal government of God? 65 
 
 2. What evidence have we that God overrules every event ? 65 
 
 3. Does not this doctrine destroy free agency ? 69 
 
 4. If God has determined the existence of sin, is he not pleased with its nature?. . 72 
 
 5. Does not this doctrine represent God as insincere, Sec.') 73 
 
 6. Does notthis doctrine discourage the use of means? 79 
 
 SEC. VI. MORAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 
 
 1. What is meant by the moral government of God? 81 
 
 2. What is the penalty of the law ? * 83 
 
 3. If eternal death be the penalty of the law, what are the natural evils of the pres- 
 
 eat life? 88 
 
INDEX. IX 
 
 4. If the evils of this life be no part of the penalty, ia it not UQJual for sinners to 
 
 suffer them? » * ^ gg 
 
 5. If eternal death be the penalty of the law, how shall we prore that thedeclara- 
 
 lion of the eeiTient was not true, "Thou shall not surely die 3" 89 
 
 SEC. Vn. CHARACTER OF MAN. 
 
 1. What was the primitive character of man? 90 
 
 2. Did man retain hie primitive character? 90 
 
 3. What is meant by foro/Tworai depravity? , 90 
 
 4. What proof have we that all men are totally depraved ? 92 
 
 6. In what sense did all men fall with Adam? 96 
 
 6. Ia the sin of Adam many sense ours? , 97 
 
 7. Is not this doctrine inconaistenl with the perfections of God ?....» 98 
 
 8. Is not this doctrine inconsistent with free agency? 99 
 
 9. If sin be voluntary, how can infants be sinners ? , »,^, , 99 
 
 SEC. Vm. ATONEMENT. 
 
 1. If the demerit of sin be everlasting death, and if all men are sinneis, by what 
 
 means is the execution of justice suspended?. 103 
 
 2. What do we understand by the atonement?..,., 103 
 
 3. What proof have we that an atonement has been made ? 104 
 
 4. Why could not pardon be extended, to sinners without an atonement ?,.,.,... 105 
 6. By what was the atonement made? 106 
 
 6. How could the sufferings of Christ make an atonement, since nothing but his 
 
 human nature could suffer ? « Ill 
 
 7. How extensive lathe atonement? 112 
 
 8. If the atopemppt be sufficient for all, why are not all saved ?.,......... 112 
 
 9< What are (he conditions of life, and why are they essential, notwithstanding 
 
 the atonement ?., 113 
 
 10. What are we to uD4erstandby justification?. •■■■.• >..■*■'.. 114 
 
 11. What influence has faith in Justification 7 1X4 
 
 12. How are the declarations of St. Paul andSt. James on this subject to lie recon- 
 
 ciled? .........,....,.......,....,.....*. 114 
 
 13. III what sense is the righteousoessof Christ imputed? .,.•...... UB 
 
 SEC. IX. REGENERATION. 
 
 1. By what process do einnwa become partakers of the atonement, if none are 
 
 partakers but such as repent? « ..116 
 
 2. What is regeneration?.... Il€ 
 
 3. By what agent is regeneration effected ? 116 
 
 4. By what instrument is regeneration effected ?. ll'T' 
 
 5. Is the subject of this work active, or passive? 117 
 
 6. Are the operations of the Spirit of God in regeneration iiresistable ? 119 
 
 7. Is this change entire, otpartial? ....,.., 119 
 
 8. Is this change instantaneous or progressive ? ^ ........ , 121 
 
 9. Why is regeneration necessary ?.. .~. ^, *. 121 
 
 10. By what is regeneration generally preceded ? 123 
 
 11. Is the subject of regeneration sensible of the time when it is effected ?•• - 125 
 
 12. What are some of the best evidences of this change? 126 
 
 13. When are we the subjects of this change, if ever? , 137 
 
 14. What are the effects of regeneration? 137 
 
 15. What is gospel faith? 138 
 
 16. Isfaitha voluntary act of the mind? r. 142 
 
 17. What la evangelical repentance ? 145 
 
 18. What is love? 146 
 
 19. What is submission? 146 
 
 2D. ArfltheseAffectfl.ofregenerationnecwsaiy tosalvaition? ..». t^. «.*«<>. 147 
 
X INDEX. 
 
 21. Which oftheas graces are first after regeneialionS 1^9 
 
 22. What are the conaequeaces of regeneration? * 150 
 
 23. What is adoption? 160 
 
 24. Whatissanctification? ISl 
 
 25. Can no eridencea be given by which we may know whether we have been re- 
 
 generated? 161 
 
 SEC. X NATUBAL ABILITy. 
 
 1. Has the sinner naturally power to comply with the terms of life ? 1 63 
 
 2. If sinners are able to oliey the commands of God, wherein do they need a Savior 1 157 
 
 3. If men have all the ability they need, to comply with the divine commands, 
 
 why are the influences of the Spirit necessary in order to their salvation ? . • 158 
 
 SEC. XI. ELECTION. 
 
 1. What is meant bjr the doctrine of election? 169 
 
 2. What evidence have we ofthe truth of this doctrine? 159 
 
 3. Is not the purpose of God in election arbitrary? 162 
 
 4. Does not this doctrine make God a respecter of persons ? , 163 
 
 5. If the doctrine of election lie true, how can it be shown that God is sincere in 
 
 freely offering salvation unto all? 165 
 
 6. But if it be admitted that all things are present with the Lord, and that what 
 
 according to the order of time is called foreknowledge has no influence upon 
 the agency of man, still how can it be just in God to make some the objects 
 of his favor and not others? 166 
 
 7. Does not the doctrine of election destroy the agency of man ? 167 
 
 EEC. Xn. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 1 . What are we to understand by the perseverance of the saints ? 1 63 
 
 2. Wiiat evidence have we of the truth of this doctrine? 169 
 
 3. Are there not some passages which clearly imply that saints are in danger of 
 
 final apostacy ? 175 
 
 4. If it be morally impossible, because God has secured their perseverance, for 
 
 saints to fall away, how is it proper for hipi to address them as though they 
 
 were in danger? ^ k..> 176 
 
 6. Does not this doctrine encourage sloth? >...« 177 
 
 SEC. Xm. MEANS OF GRACE. 
 
 1. What are the means of grace? ISO 
 
 2. What evidence have we that God is pleased to work by the use of means ? . . . . 180 
 
 3. In what manner must we attend to the means of grace, in order to enjoy the 
 
 best prospects that they may prove to be blessings ?......, 181 
 
 4. What evidence have we that family religion, such as reading the Bible, prayer, 
 
 and religious instruclio^i, is the duty of all parents ?.,,.,o-> 1^6 
 
 SEC. XIV. CONSEQUENCES OF BEATH. 
 
 1. What are the immediate consequences of death?,. 189 
 
 2. Do thesoulsofmenexist after death, previous to the resurrection?. .193 
 
 3. If it he admitted that the soul exists after the death ofthe body, and previous 
 
 to the resurrection, does it go immediately to its eternal destination ? 196 
 
 4. If the righteous pass immediately to the presence of the Lord, and the wicked 
 
 to the prison ofliell, will not the day of judgment occasion a partial suspen- 
 sion of happiness in the one case, and of misery in the other ?...^ 196 
 
 5. What evidence^have we that there will be a resurrection of the dead ? 197 
 
 6. Will mankind lie raised with the same bodieswith which thc^ leave the world? 199 
 
 7. What evidence have we that there will be a day of judgment ? 200 
 
 SEC. XV. FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 1. Whatfevidence have we that impenitent sinners will be punished in the future 
 world? 203 
 
INDEX. XI 
 
 8. 'Wlllthspuiltahment of ih« wicked be endless? f,... 205 
 
 8. C&n a finite bein^, in a finite period of time, incur sufficient erimiHE^ity to de- 
 serve an infinite punishment 1 , 207 
 
 4. What eridenca hare we that the words everlasting, forever and ever, and eter* 
 
 nal, are used in the Scriptures, to mean endless 7 209 
 
 6. Are there not some passages of Scripture which speak of a future restoration of 
 the wicked from the prison of hell 1 218 
 
 6. Are there not some passages of Scripture which seem to support the doctrine 
 
 that all men will be saved 1 * 221 
 
 7. la it not painful to the heart of a parent to apply a momentary correction to his 
 
 child, however obstinate ho may be ? How then can we believe that God, whs 
 is every where represented aa a tender and benevolent parent, can inflict a 
 paoishment upon his subjects which is eternal 1 ..*...«,. 227 
 
 8. If christians, with the little love which they possess, would rejoice to have all 
 
 men saved, may We not [conolude that God, ainC6 it is said that he is lore, 
 and since no one can doubt his power, will convert and save alii 227 
 
 SEC. XVI. INSTITUTIONS OF THE GOSPEL. CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 1. What do we mean by the Sabbath 1 S30 
 
 2. What waa the object for which the Sabbath was appointed 1 230 
 
 3. What evidence have we that the oblig[vtion to observe the Sabbath is perpetual ? 236 
 
 4. Hasnot the fourth command been repealed ?....* 237 
 
 If the Sabbath be an institution of perpetual obligation, wh/ is there nothlns 
 
 said about it in the history of the world previous to the call of Abraham ? . . 240 
 
 5. If the ioBtitution of Iha Sabbath was designed to be perpetually binding, why 
 
 is it not expressly enjoined in the New Testament 1 243 
 
 6. If the SabfcKith be the same institution under both the Jewish and Christian 
 
 dispensations, why should it not be^ofaserved in a manner as strict and as holy 
 under the latter as the former ; and why should not a violation of it be pun- 
 ished with aa severe corporeal punishment now as it was lyider the former 
 dispensation 1 243 
 
 7. What evidence have we that the day to be observed as the Sabbath is changed, 
 
 or that to observe the first day of the week is a compliance with the fourth 
 command?. ■'.....*.• • 244 
 
 8. Inwhatmanner is the Sabbath to be observed? 243 
 
 9. What are we to understand ^by works of necessity, or when is it justifiable to 
 
 work on the Sabbath ! 249 
 
 10. If we are commanded to labor for six days, and do all our work In them. Is it 
 
 not wrong to employ any pan of them for religious purposes 1 250 
 
 SEC. XVU. BAPTISM. 
 
 1. What is Baptism'! »62 
 
 2. What are the objects for which the ordinance of baptism was appointed t .... 262 
 8. What evidence have weMiat baptism is an institution to be continued in the 
 
 cburch? " • •• ^* 
 
 4. Who are the proper Bubjecu of baptism 1 ' 253 
 
 5. Is not something required of the subject, in order to baptism, of which infants 
 
 are not capable?.; : ■■■".■■ ^* 
 
 6. Can it be right to bapti» children without an explicit command for doing it 1 285 
 
 7. If baptism take the place of circumcision, what authority have we for baptizing 
 
 femaleal • **8 
 
 8. Did not the covenant made with Abraham Include temporal blessings, and was 
 
 not circumcision a mark of national descent? :■■ «S7 
 
 9. If Baptism take the place of circumcision as an ordinance In the church, why 
 
 should not the children of believers be admitted to the Uble of the Lord ?... 270 
 M. What benefit can it b« to ehildrm to have them b»pti«d1 2a 
 
XU INDEX. 
 
 11. If the covenant m»da with Abraham was a covenant of grace, why did-UnOt 
 
 secure the salvation of all his literal seed 1 273 
 
 12. If baptism take the place of circumcision, will it not_follow that children are 
 
 membersof the church, and to be considered as proper subjects of its discipline 1 274 
 
 13. What is the mode in which baptism is to be administered 1 276 
 
 14. Is not baptism represented as a burial 3 ...; • 281 
 
 15. .Was not our Savior baptized by Jmmersion, and is itnotourdutytafoUowhim? 282 
 
 16. Was John's baptism Christian baptism 7 2S3 
 
 SEC. XVm. 1BE LORD'S SDPPER. 
 
 1. What is the design of the Lord's supper? 285 
 
 2. What are the benefits to be derived from commetnorating the death and suf- 
 
 ferings of Christ I 2S5 
 
 3*. With what ^mper of mind should we approach the table of our Lord ? ■ > 287 
 
 4. What are we to understand by the expression of the apostle "He that eateth 
 
 and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not dis- 
 cemi^ig the Lord's body V 289 
 
 5. Who are the proper subjects to be admitted to this ordinance *? • > 290 
 
 6. What evidence have we that this ordinance was designed to be perpetual, and 
 
 that it is still obligatory upon the disciples of Christ 1. '.". 290 
 
 7. What are the scriptural grounds for Christian fellowship in the reception of 
 
 this ordinance 1 , 291 
 
 8. Must we not make some allowance in tho exercise of our charity for the man- 
 
 ner in which persons have been educated, &c. ?..i... 293 
 
 9. Is it our duty to fellowship as christians those who hold their fellow men in 
 
 bondage as slaves? 295 
 
 SEC. XIX CHRISHAN CHURCH. 
 
 1. What is a church? 301 
 
 2. What are the proper officers of a church? ^ 302 
 
 3. What, do we understand by what is called theApoatolie euccession, and is any 
 
 , thingdependingon it in relation to our present or future interest? 305 
 
 4. Is it not evident that Timothy was hishop, in the modem sense of the word, of 
 
 Ephesus, and Titus of Crete? 307 
 
 6. Is there not evidence from the testimony of the fathers that the primitive church 
 had more than one order of teaching officers 1 309 
 
 6. What are the. duties assigned to deacons? 309 
 
 7. How are deacons to be inducted into their office ? i 310 
 
 8. What are the objects of church discipline? 311 
 
 9. What is thaproper course to be pursued in the discipline of the church ? ...« 312 
 10. Ought the church to insist on public confessions in cases where the misconduct 
 
 of the offenders has become public ? 313 
 
 U. Have we any Sciipturo authority for ecclesiastical councils, or for a reference 
 of difficult questions, about which there are divisions in the cbuich, to the 
 advice and decision of able and experienced men?.. , 315 
 
 12. Have we any evidence that the primitive chuich contained such a xlass of of- 
 
 ficers as are usually called ruling elders ? .J.... 315 
 
 13. What are the duties of ruling elders? ^ 318 
 
 14. Is not the form of the Roman Catholic Church most ancient, and does thatafford 
 
 any evidence that it is more correct in doctrine and form than any other ?.. 319 
 
 SEC. XX Call to freash. 
 
 1. How cm we determhie when men are called of God to preach the goajwl ? .... 324 
 SEC XXI. CONTORMITY TO THE WORLD. 
 
 1. HowfarisitconsistentWithalifeofpietytoconformtothecustomsoftheWorid? 338 
 
 2. b, it wrong for such 8S<io not profess to be christians to conform to the customs 
 
 of the world? r,„ 33g 
 
THE 
 
 CHRISTIAN'S INSTRUCTOR. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 NATURAL RELIGION. 
 
 Question I. What are we to understand by natural 
 religion ? 
 
 Answer. That knowledge of the divine character, 
 and of our duty, which may be. derived from the light 
 of nature, without the aid of revelation. 
 
 Q. II. In what respects is this religion deficient ? 
 . A. 1. It does not give us, with sufficient clearness, 
 the moral character of God. Every reflecting min4 
 must be anxious to know distinctly, something of his 
 moral character, whose natural perfections, auch as 
 wisdom and power, we see in every object around us. 
 
 2. We cannot from the light of nature, ascertain the 
 service with which God will be pleased. We may 
 determine that we are dependent, and from this we 
 may infer the existence of. obligation ; but what re- 
 turns, or what service will be most acceptable to him 
 merely from the light of nature, it is impossible to 
 decide. 
 
 3. We can derive from the light of nature, no satis- 
 factory explanation of Divine Providence. Why the 
 present life should be short and uncertain, and why our 
 course through it should be so often beset with trials 
 and afflictions, is a question that we can never answer, 
 in consistency with that wisdqm which \f e discover in 
 the work? of God, Althpugb as we festve observed, the 
 
 2 
 
14 NATURAL EELIGION. 
 
 moral character of God cannot be drawn from the light 
 of nature, with sufficient clearness to satisfy the mind ; 
 yet it is acknowledged, by all who pretend to believe 
 in his existence. But how shall we reconcile the ine- 
 quality which we often witness in the circumstances of 
 men, when compared with their characters, either with 
 justice or benevolence ? Is it not a fact, that many who 
 live by oppression and injustice are exempted from most 
 of the trials and difficulties which press hard upon 
 others, who are far more upright and benevolent in 
 their characters ? 
 
 4. The light of nature gives us no knowledge on 
 which the mind can rest, concerning the termination of 
 our present state of existence. That we must soon 
 leave this world we may easily determine ; but whether 
 we shall exist in another, or if we should, in what 
 condition we shall be placed, we can form but faint and 
 uncertain conceptions without revelation. These are 
 a few of the most prominent defects of the religion of 
 nature. 
 
 Q. III. What evidence does the light of nature afford 
 of the existence of God ? 
 
 A. 1. It is evident from our own existence and that 
 of every thing with which we are surrounded. It is one 
 of the first principles with which we become acquaint- 
 ed, and one which is universally acknowledged, that to 
 every thing which has a beginning, there must be a 
 cause. That we now exist, we have not the least 
 doubt ; and that we have not always existed is equally 
 certain. That we have been the cause of our own 
 existence, is obviously impossible. The same remark 
 is true of every existence, which has had a beginning. 
 To the idea of causation we uniformly affix that of 
 intention, or exertion ; and the supposition, that an 
 event can exert itself, or operate to produce itself, 
 before it has a being, is as great an absurdity as can be 
 
NATURAL RELIGION. 15 
 
 contained in so small a number of words. There must 
 then be a cause for every existence which is not eter- 
 nal ; and that cause for the same reason, must be self- 
 existent. If we suppose the world and its inhabitants 
 to have been the work of some dependent being, to 
 whom s'ufRcient power has been delegated, still it must 
 be seen, that this dependent being, must have been the 
 work of another ; and that of another ; and so on in 
 an endless series ; or, every existence must have.been 
 the work of an independent and almighty agent. 
 
 We are conducted to the same conclusion, by a view 
 of power, as it appears in the various operations of na- 
 ture. That power is not an inherent property of mat- 
 ter, may be easily determined beyond a doubt. In the 
 movements of every body of matter, of which we have 
 any knowledge, power is evidently communicated. If 
 two bodies of matter come in contact, and one of them, 
 from the rapidity of its motion, or from any other cause, 
 moves with double the power of the other ; in over- 
 coming the smaller, and destroying its power, it will 
 lose one half of its own. From this it is evident, that 
 no created, dependent being, can put forth any power, 
 but what it has received, and that just in proportion as 
 it communicates to others, its own is- diminished. We 
 are then brought to the conclusion, that the origin of 
 all power, must be a being who can communicate to 
 any extent, without diminishing his own. 
 
 Now in the motions of the immense bodies of matter 
 which are moving round each other, there is an aston- 
 ishing exhibition of power. "JVe may say that they 
 possess 'the power of attraction, and in this way hold 
 each other by a perfect balance, but from a principle 
 we have already established, it is plain that they have 
 no power but what they have received. * 
 
 Besides, the principle of attraction, whatever it may 
 be, will not account for the motion of a body, only 
 
16 NATURAL RELIGION. 
 
 when it moves in a right line towards that by which it is 
 attracted. Of course, this principle may be the reason 
 why a body when it has received a projectile force, moves 
 in a circle, rather than in a straight line. It is then plain, 
 that every moving body must have received at first, a 
 projectile impulse from the hand of him whp made it ; 
 and that he who gave it this impulse must be almighty. 
 
 Viewing the movements of the heavenly bpdies, and 
 the various operations in the world, and the power by 
 which the whole is effected in this point of light, it may 
 be said with truth, that we may as distinctly see God, 
 with our natural eyes, as we can see each other. When 
 we look at one of our fellow-beings, we see nothing but 
 the operations of a mind or spirit upon a mass of clay. 
 The mind itself, is entirely concealed from our sight, 
 and its effects only, are the objects of our vision. In all 
 the operations of nature, with equal plainness, we can 
 see the effects of an almighty and intelligent agent. 
 
 2. The being of God is evident from the rnarks of 
 design and intelligence which we discover in all his 
 works. Every kind of being which inhabits our world, 
 is wisely adapted to the circumstances in which it is 
 placed. What an endless variety we may discov-er 
 in the provisions which have been made for the sup- 
 port of man and beast ! How many and how infinitely 
 important are the purposes, which are accomplished iii 
 promoting the subsistence and happiness of man, by 
 the single article of water ! The ocean is the " high- 
 way of nations," and the reservoir of the world. By 
 means of this, men upon opposite sides of our world are 
 neighbors ; and by mea!ns of this, an endless variety 
 of streams are sent into every part of it, to preserve, 
 and heal, and feed its inhabitants. 
 . We may easily see, that numberless and insupporta- 
 ble evils would accrue to our world, were it not for 
 that variety, that we see in the appearance and voices 
 
NATUHAL RELIGION. 17 
 
 of men. Were it not for this, how impossible i\ Would 
 be to discern between friends and enemies, judges and 
 criminals ! How important also to the peace of socie- 
 ty is that difference which exists in the hand writing of 
 different men ! We discover (if possible) still greater 
 wisdom in preserving amidst all this variety important 
 degrees of resemblance. Were it not for this resem- 
 blance, men would not be distinguished from the beasts. 
 There would be no such thing as one species, or race 
 of beings, that could be distinguished from another. 
 
 This wisdom may be seen also, if we extend our 
 views to that system of worlds, of which ours is but an 
 humble part. Yonder is a sun which is capable of 
 diffusing light ; here is a world for it to enlighten, and 
 without the influence of that sun, this world would be 
 wrapped in gloomy and perpetual darkness. How can 
 we but admire this adaptation of one thing to another ? 
 In the harmonious movements also, of those worlds 
 around each other, we can trace the same incontesti- 
 ble marks of design. 
 
 Now what do we discover among all the works of art 
 in our world, which in point of wisdom and design, can 
 be compared with the works of God ! Might we not 
 as rationally conclude, that the mechanism and art, 
 which we discover in a clock, or in a regular and ex- 
 tended palace, have been produced entirely without 
 design, as that the human body, or the solar system, 
 came into existence but by the design of an almighty 
 and intelligent agent ? 
 
 From what cause did man derive his intelligence, 
 unless it be from his Creator ? Is it not an allowed 
 principle, that causes cannot communicate what they 
 do not possess ? How absurd then is the supposition, 
 that man is the production of any possible combina- 
 tions of mere matter I How full is-the evidence, that 
 he must have been the work of an infinitely wise Being ! 
 
18 NATURAL EilUGION. 
 
 Q. IV. Has not the world, and its race of inhabitants, 
 existed from eternity ? 
 
 A. 1. If the earth has existed without beginning, its 
 surface must have been long before this time, redu- 
 ced to a perfect level. That the hills are wearing 
 away, and that the channels are filling up, is a fact 
 about which we can have no doubt. We can easily 
 see, that the smallest continual change of this nature, 
 in a duration of infinite length, would have reduced the 
 surface of the earth to a plane.* 
 
 2. It is difficult to conceive, how that which is eter- 
 nal, can admit of change. As the natural state of mat- 
 ter is rest, it must be apparent, that if there be no ad- 
 ditional impulse, the earth, with every other body with 
 which it is connected, would have either ceased to 
 move, or that all its motions would have become per- 
 fectly and unalterably regular. 
 
 3. It is incredible that the world has existed without 
 'beginning, since we have no historical accounts, on 
 
 which we can place the least dependence, of more than 
 six thousand years. What alterations have been made 
 in our world — what improvements in the arts and sci- 
 ences within the space of three thousand years ! And 
 yet, what is that period compared vnth eternity ? Can 
 we conceive that, our race has existed without begin- 
 ning, and so little improvement was made till within 
 
 * If it sljould be doubted whetber the channels of rivers and seas are thus filling up 
 the reader is desired to look at the following statement which may be relied on as cor- 
 rect. The tongue of land on which Alexandria was built, 900 years before that time, 
 did not exist. The nearest mouth of the Nile has been literally filled up, and the lake 
 IVIareotis is almost reduced to nothing ; and that within a period so recent as to leave no 
 room to doubt the faitbilulneas of history. The Khine, the^Po, and the Arno, since they 
 have been confined within dikes, have been constantly elevating their beds, and pushing 
 forward a large bank of alluvial ground into the waters into which they run. The river 
 Mississippi, it is well known, has deposited such immense quantities of alluvial earth, 
 as to create banks by i^ side, and to raise its own bed above the land that lies back of 
 these banks, for more fhan a hundred miles. Romana, in the lime of Augustus Csssar, 
 enjoyed the privileges of a sea-port ; but is now a league at least from the sea. Adria, 
 which gave name to tjie Adriatib, was once the chief port of that sea, is now inland six 
 leagues. That a similar process may be seen at the mouth of all the important rivers^ 
 the reader will be satisfied by looking at "Faber's Difiiculties of Infidelity," Sec. III. 
 This fact affords an ^rgument against the eternity of the world, of no inconsiderable 
 weight and importance. , 
 
NATURAL KELIQION. 19 
 
 three thousand years, when so much has been made 
 since that period ? If, to evade this, it should be said 
 that by various accidents and calamities, mankind may 
 have been nearly destroyed, and their improvements 
 lost ; we answer by inquiring, how many times this 
 must have been done, during a. space of eternal dura- 
 tion ? and what, unless it be an almighty and infinitely 
 wise agent, could have preserved the world through an 
 infinite series of such narrow escapes ? 
 
 4. If the world has existed from eternity, there must 
 have been an eternal series of men, of days, of years, 
 &c. Now an eternal or infinite sei"ies of events or 
 things, is a contradiction in terms, as may be shown in 
 various ways. .Every individual in a series, is a unit ; 
 but a series of units, however long, may be numbered ; 
 it cannot, therefore, be infinite. Again, every indivi- 
 dual in this series, must have had a beginning, and of 
 course, the series itself must have had a beginning. 
 Again, if there have been an eternal series, there must 
 have been an infinite number of days, and twenty-four 
 times that number of hours, and one thousand four hun- 
 dred and sixty times as many minutes. Thus it is plain, 
 that the notion that the world has existed from eternity, 
 in many ways, destroys itself. It must have been crea- 
 ted by an almighty and infinitely wise agent. 
 
 It may be remarked, that however conclusive the ar- 
 guments from the light of nature may appear, to prove 
 the existence of God, such as are still more irresistible, 
 may be drawn from divine revelation. Every argument 
 that proves that the Bible is a revelation from God, is 
 equally conclusive in proof of his existence. Thus, for 
 instance, the fulfilment of every prophecy proves that 
 there is a Being, who is as well acquainted with the 
 future as the past, and who, of course, must be God, 
 
 Dwieht's Theology Boyle Lectures— Doddridge's Lectures— Dlfficultiea of Infidelity 
 —Ounpbell'B Lectures— Palsy's Theslogy. 
 
SECTION 11. 
 
 Th^TH OF KEVELATION. 
 
 Q. 1. What evidence have we, that God has given 
 to our world, a revelation of his will ? « 
 
 A. 1. It is highly probable from the fact, that we 
 stand in great need of some light and knowledge, that 
 we cannot otherwise obtain. We have already shown, 
 that from the light of nature, we cannot obtain clear 
 and satisfactory views of the moral charactei' of God ; 
 that we know nothing of that worship with which he 
 will be pleased ; and that we are left entirely in doubt 
 and uncertainty with regard to our existence in a fu- 
 ture world. Is it to be believed, that a being, who has 
 exhibited so many marks of benevolence towards our 
 world, would leave us wholly in the dark, on points as 
 important as these ? 
 
 2. It is evident that the Bible is a revelation from 
 God, because it contains precisely that kind of infor- 
 mation that we most need. However obscure its rep- 
 resentations may be on some subjects, on every ques- 
 tion connected with our present duty and interest, or 
 our future and eternal destiny, it speaks with unambi- 
 guous plainness. The moral character of God, as far 
 as it can be investigated or comprehended, is clearly 
 revealed. On this subject, so intimately connected 
 with our present' and future happiness, we have no 
 longer a doubt, if we believe and understand the Scrip- 
 tures. The service which he requires of us, the feel- 
 ings we must cherish towards each other, together with 
 the principles on which we may satisfactorily explain 
 his providences, and all the knowledge that we need 
 
TRUTH OF REVELATIOI*. Si 
 
 concerning a future state of existence, is explicitly set 
 before us. Our curiosity is not gratified with an an- 
 swer to every question that might be suggested con- 
 cerning the manner of our existence in the future world ; 
 still, so far as knowledge on that subject is requisite, 
 either to direct or encourage us in the discharge of our 
 various duties, there is no possible deficiency. The 
 character we must sustain, in order that we may cher- 
 ish the fairest hopes, and the certainty of a future ex- 
 istence, are revealed with a plainness,, that effectually 
 removes, as far as they are believed, every doubt. 
 
 3. The doctrines and precepts of the Bible, are such 
 as we might have expected from a being of infinite wis- 
 dom and perfection, could we have known beforehand 
 that a revelation of his mind and will was intended. 
 Although we can form but imperfect conceptions, a 
 priori, what it would be suitable for such a being to re- 
 veal ; yet we may rationally conclude, that it would be 
 on the one hand, adapted to the necessities of men, and 
 on the other, to secure the dignity of his own charac- 
 ter. Would it not be safe to conclude, that if he give 
 us Miy rules for our conduct, they would be such as 
 might be perfectly obeyed, without intruding upon the 
 rights of each other ? Much as mankind are inclined 
 to differ in their opinions about the meaning of the Bi- 
 ble, do not all who pretend to believe it, acknowledge 
 that such is the tendency of the divine law ? If the 
 spirit of this law were perfectly obeyed, it is obvious 
 that every thing that disturbs the peace and happiness 
 of society would be removed. That there is an im- 
 portant defect in the characters of men by nature, is a 
 truth which we may derive with undoubting certainty, 
 from the injuries which they suffer from each other ; 
 and we may rationally expect that a revelation from 
 God would be adapted to remedy this evil. Accord- 
 ingly we find, that in the Bible, the nature of this defec- 
 
 2" 
 
22 
 
 TRUTH OP REVELATION. 
 
 tion is explained, and a foundation is laid for our re- 
 conciliation, to him and to each other. 
 
 Again, it is evident that the Bible is a revelation 
 from God, from the nature of its doctrines and requisi- 
 tions. That the precepts and doctrines of the Bible, 
 meet v^ith violent opposition from the spirit of this 
 world, is a truth so well attested as to need no other 
 proof. Those practices with which men are pleased, 
 to relinquish which they will not be persuaded, are by 
 the Bible, plainly and fearfully condemned. Notwith- 
 standing all the hopes they cherish, while they refuse 
 to relinquish their vices, they are threatened in the Bi- 
 ble with eternal death. May we not then safely con- 
 clude, that the Scriptures could not have been the pro- 
 duction of vile and ungodly men ? Did the instance 
 ever occur when men of this description gave rules for 
 life so directly at war with every feeling of their hearts, 
 and by the penalties of which they pronounced the 
 most terrible punishments upon themselves ? But the 
 supposition that the Bible could have been the produc- 
 tion of good men, and yet not be what it claims to be, a 
 revelation from God, is still more absurd. If we admit 
 that the writers of the Bible were honest, the question 
 with regard to its truth will be for ever decided. The 
 passages in which it claims to be the word of God, are 
 so numerous, and the circumstances in which this claim 
 is advanced are so various, that to suppose they could 
 have been deceived, is impossible. .By looking at other 
 pretended revelations from God, we shall see that this 
 reasoning accords with fact. The system (if we may 
 so call it) of Mohammed is. such as we might naturally 
 have expected, viewing him as an ambitious and un- 
 principled man. , We see in the Koran, merely that spi- 
 cing of self-denial which a man of his foresight, after 
 having read the Bible, might readily deem necessary 
 to give his book the appearance of a revelation; while 
 
TRUTH OF EEVELATION. 23 
 
 it is filled with all that could cherish the pride, and 
 inflame the passions, of our fallen nature. 
 
 Again, there are many testimonies from ancient 
 writings and traditions, which correspond with the 
 leading and most important facts contained in the Bi- 
 ble. In some of the most ancient writings we have 
 an account of the law of Moses, as forbidding the wor- 
 ship of images ; also of the departure of the children 
 of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and their encamp- 
 ment at Mount Sinai— of the, skill of Moses in working 
 miracles — of the miraculous supply of water in the 
 wilderness, &.c. In others, MoSes is said to be the 
 author of a volume preserved with great care, in 
 which the worship of images and the eating of swine's 
 flesh were forbidden. Traditions concerning the flood 
 and the preservation of Noah — of the building of Ba 
 bel, and the confusion of languages, are numerous. 
 But the most important of all the traditions, in point of 
 testimony, are those which relate to the offering of 
 sacrifices, and the division of days into weeks. The 
 custom of offering iSacrifices, it is well known, prevail- 
 ed through all the heathen world from time immemo- 
 rial. What could' have suggested such a method to 
 appease the anger of the Deity, had it not descended 
 by tradition from a divine institution ? Is it not more 
 rational to suppose this to have been the origin of the 
 custom, than that it should have originated among the 
 heathen ? But in reference to the division of days in- 
 to weeks, as it will be- seen to be wholly arbitrary, we 
 see no way to evade the conviction that it descended 
 from a divine appointment. Now that these traditions 
 should have existed, if the history of the Bible be true 
 must certainly appear rational ; but jf not, how is it 
 possible to account for them ? These testimonies are 
 taken from writers who lived several centuries pre- 
 vious to th? coming of Christ. 
 
l24 TRUTH OF REVELATION. 
 
 But when we come along down to the Gospel dispen- 
 sation, the evidence which we derive from this kind 
 bf testimony, becomes far more conclusive and satis- 
 factory. It is supposed by some that the crucifixion 
 and death of Christ, and the subsequent events which 
 are recorded in the New Testament, were not known, 
 scarcely beyond the limits of the neighborhood where 
 they occurred, till centuries after they took place. 
 This impression, however, has nothing to support it 
 but the most pitiable ignorance. The testimony that 
 may be gathered from authors, who lived immediately 
 after the days of the Savior and his apostles, whose 
 works have survived the ravages of time, is of the most 
 convincing kind. It affords us relief upon a point up- 
 on which it is extremely natural in our enquiries upon 
 this subject to be anxious. It is natural for us to in- 
 quire, hov^ soon the New Testament was received and 
 considered as of divine authority, by the churches ? 
 It appears on examination, that it was received imme- 
 diately, and considered in point of authority and obli- 
 gation, as superior to all human compositions. The 
 The reasons which are given are such as naturally of- 
 fer themselves to our minds. The writers were ad- 
 . mitted to be fellow laborers with our Lord, and enjoy- 
 ed his instructions, and gave evidence by the miracles 
 which they wrought, that they had be^n commissioned 
 by him, and by him endued with supernatural power. 
 Among the numerous testimonies that might be cited 
 in proof of this point, we have room for but few. Bar- 
 nabas, who was the companion of Paul, in an epistle 
 to the churches, quotes the Gospel of St. Matthew as 
 of divine authority. Clement, who was another of his 
 fellow laborers find whose name we find in his epistles, 
 has sundry quotations from the Gospels of Matthew 
 and Luke, and from the Epistles of Paul to the Romans, 
 and I. Corinthians and the Hebrews. Hermes, another 
 
TRUTH OF REVELATION. 25 
 
 of the companions of the apostle, ■whose name he men- 
 tions in his Epistle to the Romans, has left an epistle 
 containing allusions to the Gospels of Matthew, Luke 
 and John. Ignatius, who became bishop of Antioch in 
 less than forty years after the ascension of our Lord, 
 has left, in his writings, references to Matthew, John, 
 and the Epistles of Paul to the Ephesians. In a book 
 written by Polycdrp, who had been taught by the apos- 
 tles, there are more than forty undoubted allusions to 
 the different books of the New Testament. What ren- 
 ders the testimony of these men and their contempora- 
 ries of great importance, in this investigation, is the fact 
 that they are individually quoted by almost all the noted • 
 writers in the four succeeding centuries. As we come 
 along down from that period, witnesses who assure us 
 that the writings of the New Testament were early re- 
 ceived as divine inspiration, became more numerous. 
 Merely to give the character of their testimony, we 
 will cite the words of Irenseus, who was the disciple 
 of Polycarp : " We have not received the knowledge of 
 the way of salvation by any others, than those by whom 
 the gospel has been brought to us : Which gospel they 
 first preached, and afterwards, by the will of God, 
 committed to writing, that it might be, for time to 
 come, the foundation and pillar of our faith : For after 
 that our Lord rose from the dead, and the apostles 
 were endowed from above with the power oFthe Holy 
 Ghost, coming down upon them, they received a per- 
 fect knowledge of all things." 
 
 In addition to this direct testimony, that the Scrip- 
 tures were thus early received as divine inspiration, 
 the same point is supported by other considerations. 
 They were early collected into a volume, and viewed by 
 the churches as superior to other writings. In support 
 of this, we have the testimony of Ignatius, who as we 
 have seen, was bishop of Antioch within less than forty 
 
28 TKUTH OP EEVELATION. 
 
 years from the crucifixion of our Savior. And also, 
 of Eusebius, Irenaeus, Melito, Clement of Alexandria, 
 Tertullian, and Cyprian. Most of these writers lived 
 ■within less than two hundred yeajrs of the commence- 
 ment of the Christian era. 
 
 The writings of the New Testament in their present 
 form, were early distinguished by appropriate appella- 
 tions of respect. To this we have the testimony of the 
 same writers, together with that of Justin Martyr, Dio- 
 nysius, Theophilus, and Origen. 
 
 Again, the Scriptures were, at this early period, 
 publicly read and expounded in religious assembUes* 
 Commentaries were written upon them — different co- 
 pies were carefully examined, and translations made 
 of them into different languages. 
 
 Lastly, the Scriptures, as we now have them, were 
 appealed to, in controversies both by friends and ene- 
 mies. To all these points, the testimonies from the va- 
 rious writers of the first three centuries, are so full and 
 .explicit, as to leave no room for a remaining doubt. 
 In the fourth century, Christianity became the most 
 prevalent religion in the world. To look for testimo- 
 ny of this kind from ^hat period, is like searching af- 
 ter light under a meridian sun, when there is not a cloud 
 to obscure it. 
 
 Again, the miracles which are recorded in the Bible, 
 are an evidence that it is divine inspiration. A mira- 
 cle, is an event which is out of, or above the common 
 course of nature. Our Savior appealed to the miracles 
 which he wrought, as a proof that he was the true 
 Messiah, and endued with divine power. " Believe 
 me, that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or 
 else believe me for the very work's sake."a The apos- 
 tles depended much on the miracles which had been 
 
 a Juhn zjr. II. 
 
TRUTH OP KEVBLATION. 27 
 
 wrought by the Savior as evidence of his divine mis- 
 sion. " Ye men of Israel, hear these words : Jesus of 
 Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by mira- 
 cles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him 
 in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know." a The 
 evidence arising from the miracles which have been 
 wrought by the Savior and his apostles, is such afe 
 derives no advantage from explanations or comments. 
 Whoever believes the record that is given of them, or 
 in other words, whoever believes that they were 
 wrought, has a conviction upon his mind, that the 
 Scriptures are divinely inspired, which cannot be deep- 
 ened by any comments whatever. Aware of this, the 
 enemies of the Bible when endeavoring to destroy this 
 argument, instead of tempting to prove that a miracle 
 is no evidence of divine and supernatural power, have 
 aimed their blows at the foundation itself, by attempting 
 to disprove the account. It may, perhaps, be thought 
 an exception to this remark, that the most bold, and 
 as has been considered by many, the most successful 
 attack that.has ever been made on the argument derived 
 from miracles, was the attempt made by Mr. Hume ; 
 in which he affected to discover, that from the nature 
 of things, a miracle is utterly incapable of being proved. 
 As this fancied discovery has occasioned among the 
 enemies of the Bible no small degree of triumph, it may 
 not be improper to give it a brief examination. The 
 substance of his argument may be stated thus : A mi- 
 racle is. a violation of the laws of nature ; The laws ot 
 nature are known, and established only by experience ; 
 and as we can derive testimony on any point whatever, 
 only from experience, there can be no proof in favor of 
 a miracle. In an able and careful examination of this 
 argument. Dr. Campbell has shown, that the following, 
 
 a Act! li. 82. 
 
28 TRUTH OF REVELATION. 
 
 among many other absurdities, must flow from it, as 
 legitimate results : 1. If testimony be derived wholly 
 from experience, then the credulity of mankind would 
 increase as they advance in years, or in other words, 
 as they increase in experience, which is directly con 
 trary to fact. 3. Upon this principle, we can never be 
 furnished with evidence sufficient to induce a belief in 
 any event that has not come Within our own observation. 
 With a view to free himself from this apparent absurdi- 
 ty, Mr. Hume attempted to justify the king of Siam as 
 acting a rational and philosophical part, in refusing to 
 believe, because it was contrary*to his experience, that 
 water would ever congeal : But we may easily see 
 that the same principle would lead us to refuse our 
 assent to any new discovery whatever. . In fact, we 
 see not how, upon this principle, we can be justified in 
 believing any thing, however common. As there must 
 be a first time to every occurrence, when it comes 
 within our notice, so for that time, it must not obtaia 
 our belief, because it is not according to our experience, 
 and for the same reason it must be precluded from all 
 further trial, and of course, every door to improvement 
 will be closed for ever. 
 
 It is again objected, that if we admit the existence of 
 Hiiracles as evidence of the truth of what they are de- 
 sighed to establish, then we must admit the truth of 
 many of the pagan rites, and the popish superstitions. 
 That there have been produced in proof of both of 
 these, many pretended miracles, we readily admit. 
 But in comparing them with the miracles recorded in 
 the Scriptures, they uniformly fail in the following 
 particulars: 1. They were not wrought before wit- 
 nesses whose testimony would be allowed on any 
 principle, as evidence. 2. Their effects were not last- 
 ing and open to investigation. Without these marks, 
 no miracles can be entitled to any credit. The mira- 
 
TRUTH OF REVELATION. 29 
 
 cles which were wrought by Moses in the deliverance 
 of Israel, were wrought in the presence of the whole 
 nation. They were such as could be attested by the 
 senses. The children of Israel certainly could know 
 whether they passed the channels of the Red Sea, 
 while the waters were standing in heaps by their sides. 
 Ceremonies, such as the passover, never could have 
 been imposed upon that nation, neither at that time, 
 nor in any succeeding age, had the events never existed, ' 
 which they were designed to commemorate, are remain- 
 ing at the present day, as standing monuments of the 
 truth of those miracles. As they were taught to in- 
 struct their children that the object for which these 
 ceremonies were observed, was to commemorate these 
 miracles ; had any impostor, in any after age, attempt- 
 ed to impose theSe observances upon them, upon the 
 supposition that the events had not existed, he must 
 have brought them to believe that they had observed 
 them from their childhood, when in fact, they had 
 never before heard of them. The same remarks are 
 applicable to the resurr^tion of Christ. But as we 
 design to make this a distinct argument, we shall 
 waive a further notice of it for the present. It will be 
 seen that all the miracles wrought by our Savior, were 
 wrought in the presence of his enemies. Their effects 
 were lasting, and open to investigation. His enemies 
 were constrained to acknowledge that he wrought 
 them, as it appears from their endeavoring to ascribe 
 the agency by which he wrought them, to an evil spi- 
 rit. The blind which he restored to sight, continued 
 to see ; the dead which he restored to life, continued 
 to live, and remained among his enemies as living tes- 
 timonies of his power. This was admitted by such 
 as attempted to oppose the testimony of the apostles 
 and primitive Christians. How different from this in 
 every important respect, are the miracles said to have 
 
30 TEUTH OF REVELATION. 
 
 been wrought by Vespasian ; and at the tomb of the 
 Abbe Paris ! They were never seen by unbelievers, 
 nor enemies ; and they were not attested by a sufficient 
 number of witnesses. Those especially at the tomb 
 of the Abbe, on which the enemies of Christianity 
 place the greatest rehance, were seen only by those 
 who were anxious to have them believed. Besides, 
 they were at best, but temporary cures of diseases, 
 when various other remedies were in operation. Ma- 
 ny of these cures, it is well known, were of but short 
 duration. 
 
 It now remains that we give some direct arguments, 
 in addition to those derived from their nature, to prove 
 the existence of those miracles attributed to Christ and 
 his apostles. We have shown that the enemies of 
 Christ admitted that he wrought miracles. This is 
 certainly as much as will be expected we shall produce 
 from them, on the supposition that they are true. On 
 the other hand, the testimony of his friends has not 
 been sufficiently examined to discover its real weight. 
 How can it be doubted but that they have given us 
 every particle of evidence in their power of their sin- 
 cerity ? They affirm with simplicity and apparent 
 honesty, that these miracles were wrought, and every 
 step, and every action in their lives, shows that they 
 sincerely believed it. They endured every suffering 
 that a malicious ingenuity could invent, and eventually 
 sealed their testimony with their blood. It must be 
 acknowledged that the Savior and his apostles were 
 either honest and were prosecuting a benevolent de- 
 sign, or they were united in a vile and hypocritical 
 deception. If they were impostors, the conduct of 
 Judas must appear unaccountable. No collusion, it is 
 certain, could have existed among them, unknown to 
 him. Now that any man can honestly believe that 
 Judas, for betraying the ringleader of a vile and in- 
 
TEUTH OF REVELATION. 31 
 
 triguing junto, should be so stung with remorse as to 
 lay violent hands upon himself, is too much for our 
 charity. If it were not remorse, why did he not reveal 
 the whole plot ? Where was Judas when evidences 
 against the Savior were so much wanted ? The only 
 question that now remains, since their honesty cannot 
 be doubted, is whether they were competent witnesses. 
 It will be said, if a willingness to suflFer and to die, will 
 prove their testimony to be true, then paganism will 
 not be wanting for evidence. In answer to this, we 
 remark, it must be admitted, that when a heathen is 
 willing to die in attestation of his belief, it is conclusive 
 evidence that he is sincere. Now let us have the same 
 charity for the apostles and primitive Christians, and 
 the question is decided at once. All that we wish to 
 prove by this willingness to suffer and to die, is that 
 they were honest ; they were in circumstances to know, 
 beyond a possibility of deception, the truth of what they 
 attested. They did know whether Lazarus lived, and 
 associated with them after his resurrection. They did 
 know whether the foundations of the prison were yent, 
 and they were liberated from their chains. The same 
 remarks are applicable to all the miracles recorded in 
 the New Testament. But this cannot be said in the 
 case of the heathen. However sincere they may be, 
 it will not be pretended that they knew any thing about 
 the supposed incarnations of their various deities. Af- 
 ter all that can be said concerning the testimony of the 
 apostles and primitive Christians, it will, in the minds 
 of many, possess but little weight, because it is the 
 testimony of friends ; but we may with confidence 
 defy any unbeliever to show wherein it could be better. 
 Infidels now complain that the witnesses were inte- 
 rested ; whereas, if the apostles had not been convinced 
 by what they saw, it would have been said, that they 
 could not have been honest. We are authorized to 
 
32 TRUTH OF REVELATION. 
 
 make this statement from the fact that one principal 
 objection which they make to the truth of these mira- 
 cles, clearly implies it. If these miracles, it is said, 
 were such as they were represented to be by the apos- 
 tles, every individual must have been persuaded to 
 believe in the Savior. They confidently affirm that 
 their own unbelief would have vanished before them. 
 Thus they cannot believe the testimony of these 
 apostles, because they were convinced by what they 
 saw, and became the friends of the Savior. They 
 cannot believe that the miracles ascribed to him, were 
 ever wrought by him ; because every beholder must 
 have been convinced of the truth and equity of his 
 claims ! It seems that no evidence whatever can sat- 
 isfy these men. If all that saw the miracles which were 
 wrought by our Savior, had been persuaded to believe 
 on him, their testimony would have been good for no- 
 thing, because they were interested. If any who saw 
 these miracles, had rema,ined"unfriendly to the Savior 
 their testimony would have been equally good for no- 
 thing, because they must have been dishonest. 
 
 But for the sake of such as mean to be influenced by 
 evidence, we observe, that there was every thing in 
 the case of the apostles that ever operated to prevent 
 the influence of evidence on the mind, to prevent their 
 believing on the Savior. They could expect nothing 
 but shame, persecution, and death ; and if through all 
 this improper influence, evidence made its way to their 
 hearts, at the hazard of every earthly interest, is their 
 testimony any less deserving of our confidence ? Let 
 us bear in mind that the apostles were not alone. Not- 
 withstanding the dangers to which they were exposed 
 the number of witnesses was constantly increasing. 
 Hundreds and thousands who had every opportunity 
 to know whether these miracles had been wrought, in 
 the face of death, and that too, in its most appaUing 
 
TRUTH or REVELATION. 83 
 
 forms, believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is now 
 left for the reader to determine, whether the miracles 
 wrought in attestation of the religion of the Bible, be 
 not supported with evidence as conclusive as the na- 
 ture of the case could allow, or as any candid inquirer 
 could desire. 
 
 Another argument differing but little from that to 
 which we have now been attending, in proof that the 
 Scriptures were given by inspiration of God, is drawn 
 from the resurrection of Christ. This is not only one 
 of the most important miracles recorded in the whole 
 Bible,, but it is accompanied with other circumstances 
 which greatly strengthen the testimony by which it is 
 supported. By looking at the history of the labors 
 of Paul, it is obvious that there was no one argument 
 on which he placed so much dependence, while endea- 
 voring to convince his hearers, as on that which is 
 drawn from the resurrection of Christ. He often re- 
 presented this as the principal point in debate. On 
 one occasion he told his audience that it was for the 
 " hope of the resurrection, that he was called in ques- 
 tion." On another, it is said, he was heard with atten- 
 tion, till he began to speak of the " resurrection," upon 
 which, some mocked, and others left him with the pro- 
 mise that they wou^pi hear him again. The apostle 
 Peter considered this article no less important, as may 
 be seen by the introduction to his first epistle :. " Who 
 hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the res- 
 urrection of Jfesus Christ from the dead."a As the 
 argument appears to us, we can conceive of but two 
 evasions which can possibly be made to bear the least 
 appearance of plausibility : The apostles either com- 
 bined together to palm on the world a deception ; 
 or they were deluded and led to believe what was 
 
 a I Fet. !. 3. 
 
34 TRUTH OF REVELATION. 
 
 without foundation ; or the whole history is true. The 
 first of these we have already shown to be impossible. 
 As they could hope for nothing from a lifeless corpse, 
 there could be no object to induce them to meet all 
 they must endure, if they persisted in testifying to what 
 they knew was false. Besides, it has been shown,' 
 that they have given us every mark of honesty, that 
 was within their power. That they could have been 
 deceived, will appear, on examination, to be equally 
 incredible. They were not so ignorant but that they 
 must know whether a body was dead or alive. Besides, 
 the apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, 
 stated that the Savior had been, after his resurrection, 
 seen of above five hundred brethren at once, and the 
 greater part of whom were then living. This not only 
 shows that they were present and willing to appeal to 
 known facts, but it shows with et^ual certainty, that if 
 any collusion had existed among them, with the great- 
 est ease, the whole might have been detected. 
 
 Again, there was a dead body, it was in the hands 
 of enemies, and these enemies were apprized of the 
 expectation of its friends that it would rise from the 
 dead. But still, these enemies, although it was for 
 their interest to detect every deception, have given no 
 rational account of the body. F* aught that appears 
 from them, the body, when in their own possession, has 
 vanished out of existence. The account that is given 
 by the Jews, which is supported by the testimony of 
 men in a sound sleep, no rational mind can credit for 
 a moment. 
 
 Another evidence, and one which we, living at this 
 distance from the time when the event occurred, can 
 place still greater dependence, may be seen in the ob- 
 servance of certain ceremonies. These ceremonies 
 were designed to perpetuate the event, by conveying 
 the evidence down to posterity unimpaired. By keep- 
 
TllUTH OF REVELATION. 35 
 
 ing the first day of the week, as holy time, instead of 
 the seventh, they have established a testimony which 
 must remain unanswerable to the end of time. 
 
 Again, another evidence that the Scriptures are di- 
 vine inspiration, may be obtained from the rapid spread 
 of the gospel. This will appear to best advantage, if 
 we look at the embarrassments under which the apos- 
 tles labored. They were poor and mostly illiterate ; 
 and they had to oppose the pride, the learning, the 
 power, and the religion of the world. They could 
 make no compromise with their enemies, as the religion 
 which they inculcated denounced every other as false 
 and ruinous. They had nothing with which to flatter 
 human nature, but a life of forbidding self-denial, that 
 would most, certainly be terminated upon the rack, or 
 by the flames. Now what could they, under all these 
 embarrassments, expect to do ? Unless they could 
 go forth and appeal to the miracles which had been 
 wrought by the Savior and his disciples, and to his re- 
 surrection as known facts without fear of contradic- 
 tion, and unless they could rely on the influence of the 
 Holy Spirit to render their labors effectual, how could 
 they ever hope to make one proselyte ? Still it is a 
 truth that cahnot be questioned, that in spite of all these 
 o|)stacles, this gospel, so unwelcome to the natural 
 heart, spread with almost incredible rapidity. From 
 the best accounts with which we are furnished, both 
 from profane history, as well as from the Bible, it ap- 
 pears, that in less than thirty years from the ascension 
 of our Lord, the gospel had spread itself throughout 
 Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, almost throughout the 
 numerous districts of lesser Asia — through Greece and 
 the Islands of the .^gean sea — the coast of Africai 
 and even to Rome. In most of these places the con- 
 verts were represented as numerous. Tertullian, who 
 wrote about one hundred and fifty years after the as- 
 
36 TRUTfi OF KEVELATION. 
 
 cension, appeals to the governors of the Roman em- 
 pire in these terms : " We were but of yesterday, and 
 we have filled your cities, islands, towns, and boroughs ; 
 the camp, the senate, and the forum." Can the history 
 of the world produce an instance in which a religion, 
 so unfriendly to the human heart, and under similar 
 embarrassments, has spread with a rapidity like this ? 
 Another evidence that the Scriptures were given by 
 divine inspiration, may be drawn from the prophecies 
 and their fulfillment. There is the same disposition in 
 men of skeptical principles, to be satisfied with nothing, 
 not even with their own prescriptions, concerning what 
 kind of a prophecy with its fulfillment, will amount to 
 evidence that we have already noticed in reference to 
 the testimony of the disciples. The most common ob- 
 jection that is made to the argument that is derived 
 from prophecies, is their obscurity, or indistinctness. 
 It is said, that it is an easy thing, where there is such 
 a want of particularity, for a lively imagination, among 
 the various events that are constantly occurring, to 
 majke an application of the prophecy that will exhibit 
 some resemblance. On the other hand, some of the 
 prophecies respecting our Savior, were fulfilled in a 
 manner so particular, we are told, that the Savior made 
 it his aim to fulfill them. While it will be seen to be 
 impossible, with any kind of prediction, to satisfy such 
 men, we cannot but admire the wisdom of God in al- 
 lowing so much obscurity to rest upon the prophecies 
 of the Bible, as to put it out of the power of any'im- 
 postor designedly to imitate them ; and on the other 
 hand, to have them written with^o much particularity, 
 that when the events foretold, do actually exist, the 
 agreement between the prediction and the fulfillmept, 
 is such, as to render the application, at least in many 
 instances, unquestionable. The prophecies which have 
 already received their accomplishment are so pumer- 
 
TRUTH OF REVELATION. 37 
 
 ous, that it will be impossible, in this work, to give 
 them a separate investigation. The only point that 
 we have room to examine* is whether we have not 
 clear and unquestionable references in the Old Testa- 
 ment, to the person and character of the Savior. In 
 the 53d chapter of Isaiah, we have a prediction con- 
 cerning a person who was to make his appearance, of 
 whom the following things are spoken : " He is de- 
 spised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and ac- 
 quainted with grief ; and we hid as it were, our faces 
 from him ; he wag despised, and we esteemed him not. 
 Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sor- 
 rows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, 
 and afflicted. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, 
 yet he opened not his mouth ; he is brought as a lamb 
 to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is 
 dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from 
 prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his 
 generation? He made his grave with the wicked, 
 and with the rich in his death, because he had done no 
 violence, neither was any deceit found in his month." 
 We quote these verses merely as a specimen of the 
 whole chapter. It will be seen in this passage, among 
 many other things, the manner in which our Savior was 
 treated by the world, and how he was forsaken by his 
 disciples : the meekness and patience with which he 
 bore his sufferings, and the testimony of his judges to 
 his innocence. He should make his " soul an offering 
 for sin," and yet he should " prolong his^ days." We 
 would now ask, whether it can be said of this prophecy, 
 that it is loose and indefinite ? Would not an infidel, if 
 he were required to find another person in the history 
 of the world, to which this description would as, liter- 
 ally apply as it does to Jesus of Nazareth, give up his 
 task as a hopeless undertaking ? 
 
 Again; "But thou Bethlehem Ephratah! though 
 
38 TRUTH OF REVELATION. 
 
 thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out 
 of thee shall he come forth, who is to be ruler in Israel, 
 ■whose goings forth have been from old, even from ever- 
 lasting."a This passage as it refers to the place where 
 the Savior was born, although it is one of the most 
 definite prophecies in the whole Bible, cannot be con- 
 sidered as liable to the objection, that the fulfilment 
 was intentional. On the part of the Savior himself it 
 cannot be pretended ; and on the part of his parents, 
 it may be remarked, that it was not a choice of their 
 own, but a law of the government that brought them 
 to Bethlehem. Concerning most of the prophecies 
 which relate to our Savior, we have an incontestible 
 evidence that this objection cannot be made to them. 
 Their fulfilment was brought about by the agency of 
 enemies. It was his enemies that led the Savior to 
 the judgment hall, pronounced him innocent, and yet 
 condemned him. It was his enemies that put Iiim to 
 death, and " cast lots for his vesture." 
 
 The only objection against this argument, that re- 
 mains to be considered, is, that the prophecies were 
 written after the events said to be predicted, had taken 
 place. Through the kind providence of God, we are 
 furnished with an argument that proves this objection 
 to be wholly without foundation, beyond the shadow' of 
 a doubt. So far as these prophecies refer to the Sa- 
 vior, the Jews would have been willing to have spared 
 no pains, if they might either have been expunged from 
 the Bible, or explained away ; still, they stand precisely 
 in their copies, as in ours. It cannot be supposed for 
 a moment, that the Jews would have allowed these 
 prophecies to remain in their Scriptures, purporting to 
 have been written several centuries before the events 
 existed to which they refer, if it were possible to avoid 
 
 a Micab t. 2. 
 
TRUTH or REVELATION. 39 
 
 it. The Jews in this case, as it has been often ex- 
 pressed, are our librarians, to whom we go for argu- 
 ments to opppse them. Aside from the fact, that it 
 would be for their interest to deprive us of this testi- 
 mony, their being found in their copies, affords unques- 
 tionable evidence that the Scriptures of the Old Testa- 
 ment, were written long before the time of our Savior. 
 ' Now the prophecies we have examined, are only a 
 few out of a multitude, that would afford us testimony 
 on this point equally conclusive. Such as relate to the 
 destruction of the cities of Nineveh, Tyre, and Babylon, 
 and the dispersion of the Jews.a The prophecies of 
 our Savior concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, 
 are unanswerable evidences, that to him, the veil of fu- 
 turity was withdrawn. How is it possible to evade 
 the conclusion to which we are conducted by this argu- 
 ment, that the Scriptures were given by the inspiration 
 of God ? 
 
 There are other arguments, such as the system of 
 morals contained in the Bible which infidels themselves 
 acknowledge is superior to any other in existence ; 
 the apparent simplicity and honesty of the writers of 
 the Bible, &c., from which we might derive additional 
 support to the point before us, had we time to examine 
 them. On the whole, it is believed, that the arguments 
 to which we have already attended, cannot be exam- 
 ined with candor, without leaving an impression on the 
 mind,' that the Bible is the word of God, that will affect 
 both the heart and the life. 
 
 Q. n. What is meant by inspiration ? 
 
 A. By the best writers upon the subject, it is distri- 
 buted under the three following heads, and explained 
 in the following manner: 1. Superintendent inspira- 
 tion ; by which they mean, that the writers were so 
 
 a The reader ia requested to look at the following passages Mid compare them with 
 history. lea. xiii. IsUgZ. Jar. 1. 38—10. Eaek. xxvi. 13-JS. 
 
40 TRUTH OF REVELATION. 
 
 far under the influence of the Divine Spirit, as to pre- 
 vent any material error : 2. Plenary superintendent 
 inspiration ; by which it is meant, that although the 
 writer may be left in a measure to the choice of his 
 own style, yet the superintendence is such as to pre- 
 vent any error : 3. Inspiration of suggestion ; by 
 which we are to understand, that not only the senti- 
 ment, but the words themselves, are suggested to the 
 mind of the vvriter. 
 
 Q. III. By which of these kinds of inspiration were 
 the Scriptures given ? 
 
 A. From the arguments to which we have attended, 
 it is evident that they were given by the two last. If 
 the Scriptures are designed to be our guide and direc- 
 tor as we trust has been fully proved, it is but rational 
 to conclude, that it will be secured against any material 
 error. That some parts of the Bible, such as the pro- 
 phecies, were written under the influence of the inspi- 
 ration of suggestion, is evident from the fact, that the 
 writers, while they might have had clear views of the 
 Symbols which were suggested to their minds, can 
 scarcely be thought to have had a full view of all that 
 was intended by them. 
 
 Q. IV. Are there not some apparent contradictions in 
 the Bible, such as the difference in the genealogies of 
 our Savior, which are given by Matthew and Luke, 
 which go to prove that it could not have been written 
 under a plenary superintendent direction ? 
 
 A. As to the difference in these genealogies, they 
 may be easily reconciled by supposing, that in one case 
 it is the genealogy of Joseph, and in the other, of Mary. 
 Luke undoubtedly gives us the genealogy of our Savior 
 through the line of Mary ; hence the Savior is said by 
 him to be the supposed son of Joseph. The father of 
 Joseph, is by one called Jacob, and by the other, Heli ; 
 by which we are to understand, that as Heli was the 
 
TRUTH OF REVELATION. . 41 
 
 father of Mary, Joseph was called his son. With re- 
 gard to the other supposed contradictions contained in 
 the Bible, it is necessary only to remark, that a candid 
 examination of the meaning of the text, compared with 
 the context, will not fail to remove every appearance 
 of disagreement in sentiment. Besides, these apparent 
 discrepancies in the language of the Bible, prove to 
 the satisfaction of every honest mind, that there could 
 have been no collusion among its writers ; and if the 
 writers of the Bible were honest, we h'ave seen that 
 the question with regard to its inspiration, must be for- 
 ever settled. 
 
 Q. V. Does not the apostle Paul intimate that he gave 
 some directions to the church at Corinth, without the 
 influence of the Divine Spirit la 
 
 A. The apostle meant his brethren should under- 
 stand, that he had received from the Lord Jesus Christ 
 no particular commawc/ on that subject. In the verse 
 but one previous to that in question, he observes, " And 
 unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord." 
 In the 25th verse of the same chapter, he mentions 
 another case, concerning which he told his brethren, 
 that he had not received any egress command from 
 the Savior. It is then plain that in the 12th verse, by 
 the expression, " So speak I, and not the Lord," he 
 meant only to be understood, that, among all the com- 
 mands and directions of our Lgrd, there was no one 
 exactly adapted to these cases, and not that he was 
 under the influence of no kind of inspiration. Accor- 
 dingly, in the last verse, when closing his remarks on 
 this subject, he observes, " But I think I have the mind 
 of the Spirit." 
 
 Q. VI. What evidence have we that the Scriptures 
 have not been corrupted by incorrect translations, in- 
 terpolations, and additions ? 
 
 a I Cor. Tii. 12. 
 
42 TRUTH OF EKVELATION. 
 
 A. Soon after the Scriptures were collected into one 
 volume, as might be expected from a knowledge of 
 the human heart, the opinions of men on some of the 
 most important points, became at variance. This dif- 
 ference of opinion has constantly and rapidly increased 
 to the present day. These different sectaries have 
 been a constant check upon each other. There is such 
 a suspicion and jealousy among them toward each 
 other, that we are unable to conjecture how Divine 
 Providence could have placed the Scriptures where 
 they would have been more secure against every kind 
 of corruption. The existence of this watchfulness, 
 thus early in these parties over each other, lest the 
 text should be corrupted, is irresistible evidence that 
 it was acknowledged to be inspiration. 
 
 Q,. VII. What evidence have we that all the books 
 n the bible, were given by inspiration ? 
 
 A. 1. As an evidence that the Bible must stand or 
 fall as a whole, there are more than two hundred quo- 
 tations from the Old Testament in the New ; and 
 among them there are some from almost every book. 
 But more conclusive evidence that- the whole of the 
 Bible, as we now have it, is inspiration, we gather from 
 the testimony of the apostles. Before his ascension, 
 the Savior promised his disciples that after his depar- 
 ture the Holy Spirit should come, and should " guide 
 them into all truth."a That this promise was fulfilled 
 is evident from the miracles which they wrought, and 
 the success which attended their labors. Under this 
 influence of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul declared 
 that " all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 
 and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correc- 
 tion, for instruction in righteousness."^ That the 
 apostles had in their possession, what is called the Sep- 
 tuagint, or the translation of the Old Testament, by the 
 
 a John ZTi. 13. b i Tim. iii. IS. 
 
TRUTH OF EIVELATION. 43 
 
 seventy, and often used it, cannot be doubted by any 
 who will take the pains to examine their quotations. 
 Every book (Contained in the Old Testament as we now 
 have it, is found in the Septuagint. The declaration 
 of the apostle must be considered as amounting to the 
 most decisive testimony, that every book in the Old 
 Testament is inspiration. But few who have any con- 
 scientious belief in Christianity, ever doubted the truth 
 of any part of the New Testament, while it is not un- 
 common to hear doubts expressed with regard to the 
 Song of Solomon, Ruth, and some other books in the 
 Old. But from what has been stated above, we have 
 the apostle Paul's authority, that these books stand up- 
 on equal ground with the rest. 
 
 2. Wherever the Savior spake of the Old Testament, 
 he called it the Scripture.^ He must have referred 
 to the Old Testament as including all the books which 
 it now contains, because such were the Scriptures in 
 the possession of the Jews. We have not the faintest 
 indication, in all their opposition to the Savior, that 
 they ever complained of his rejecting a part of their 
 Scriptures. The whole of the Old Testament, is what 
 the Savior calls the Scriptures, and what he tells us 
 " cannot be broken."6 If then, any part of the Bible 
 be true, the whole of it is true. 
 
 The reader is now left to decide for himself, whether 
 this body of testimony in support of the Bible, can be 
 met or disproved. Who can believe that such a num- 
 ber of Testimonies, so different in their nature, could 
 all harmoniously meet in the support of what is not 
 true? 
 
 a Mark xii. 10. Luke ir. 21. John vii. 33, 42. Mat. Eiii. 29. b John x. 35. 
 
 Paley'a Eridences — ^Doddridge's Lectures — Campbell on Miracles — Baron Haller— 
 Scripture Facta— Owen on the Hebrews— Chalmer's E/idences- Boyle Lectures— Les- 
 lie's Short Method.— Difficulties aflnfidelit/. 
 
SECTION III. 
 
 PERFECTIONS OF GOD. 
 
 Q. What are the attributes of God ? 
 
 A. His attributes are usually divided into two class- 
 es, natural and moral. His natural attributes are. 
 Eternity, Immutability, Omnipresence, Omnipotence, 
 and Omniscience. 
 
 1. Eteenity. That God is eternal, we are furnished 
 with the most decisive evidence from the light of rea- 
 son. We have found in our arguments in proof of 
 his being, that he is the cause of every other existence. 
 We are left then, to believe that he came into existence 
 without a cause, or that he has existed without a be- 
 ginning. The first of these suppositions is obviously 
 impossible, as has been sufficiently shown. We have 
 therefore the same evidence that he has existed eter- 
 nally, as that he exists now. In all our observations 
 upon this subject, we are under the necessity of using 
 terms which are liable to leave incorrect impressions 
 on the mind. Our mode of existence is successive, 
 and it is extremely difficult for us to form any clear 
 conceptions of any other. We may, however, be rea- 
 dily convinced that to apply our mode of existence to 
 him, would be to represent him as increasing in age. 
 Further, if he exist in succession, to-day or this mo- 
 ment, must appear to him different from what it did 
 yesterday, when he viewed it as future. If this be 
 true, then he has one idea to-day which he did ^ot pos- 
 sess yesterday. Of course, he is constantly increasing 
 in knowledge, and cannot be infinite. We must sup- 
 pose, therefore, that to him, the past, present, and fu- 
 
PERFECTIONS OP GOD. 45 
 
 ture, ar6 all perfectly alike. That he looks upon days, 
 months, and years, and on the beginning and end of 
 time, as we look upon the divisions and subdivisi-ons of 
 a scale, when both ends are equally near us. 
 
 The Scriptures, though accommodated to our views 
 and our conceptions, contain this view of the existence 
 of God : " And God said unto Moses, / am that I am : 
 and he said, thus shalt thou say unto the children of 
 Israel, / am hath sent me unto you."a Again, " Thus 
 saith the high and lofty One that inhabitfeth eternity ."& 
 In this passage, God is represented as filling eternity, 
 as he fills immensity. As he is present in all the re- 
 gions of immensity at once, so he is equally present in 
 all the periods that are past and all that are to come.c 
 
 Another of the natural attributes of God is Immuta- 
 bility. This is so obviously inferred from his eternity 
 and his infinite wisdom, and is so often exhibited in the 
 Bible, that in order to prove it, but few remarks will 
 be necessary. Whatever is self-existent and indepen- 
 dent, is plainly unchangeable. But it is with still more 
 certainty inferred from his infinite wisdom and power. 
 On this point also, the Scriptures speak with plainness : 
 " I am the Lord, I change noVd " With whom is no 
 variableness nor shadow of turning. He is of one 
 mind, and who can turn him !"e 
 
 Q. Is it not said in some passages of Scripture, that 
 God repented, which uniformly implies a chajnge of 
 mind ? 
 
 A. It is said that " It repented the Lord that he had 
 made man./ The same sentiment is expressed in 1 
 Sam. XV. 11. It has been observed that in the lari' 
 guage of the Scriptures, they are adapted to the capa- 
 cities of men. The term repent, when applied to men 
 usually denotes a change of mind. This change of 
 
 oas.. iM. 14. 4I«i..Mi. IS. c2P«t. iii. 8. Est. xi 1'', •"d Jtvi. S. «nH«l. 
 m. e. tlabzziii.13. /Sen: ri. 6. 
 
46 PBRPECTIONa OP GOD. 
 
 mind is inferred from an apparent change in their con- 
 duct. Hence it is said, where there is a visible change 
 in the conduct of the Most High towards his creatures, 
 that he repented. But this change of conduct is not 
 an evidence of a change of mind in him. In conse- 
 quence of the change of character in mankind after 
 they were created, the Almighty must of necessity, if 
 he remained the same holy being, exhibit toward them 
 a change of conduct. So, when we are told the. sun 
 stood still at the command of Joshua,a We discover the 
 same accommodation to the capacity of man. It is 
 the design of the Bible in these cases, to state facts as 
 they appeared, and not according to philosophical ac- 
 curacy. To suppose that God can ever change in his 
 purposes or intentions, would set the Scriptures at war 
 with themselves. " God is not man that he should re- 
 pent."6 
 
 Another of the attributes of God, is Ojhnipotence. 
 There is a strong presumption, if not conclusive evi- 
 dence of this, from his Eternity^ But an argument 
 may be drawn from the work of creation, whjch must 
 remove every doubt. If he be able to create worlds 
 with all their inhabitants out of nothing, it is certain 
 that we can form no conception of any deficiency in 
 his power. If it should be objected, that we have no 
 certain evidence but that the work of creation might 
 have been accomplished by a being whose power 
 was less than infinite, we would barely state in answer, 
 that in proving the existence of God, (see page 1 5,) it 
 was demonstrated that the being from whom power 
 originated must have been almighty. But the testimo- 
 ny of Scripture will place this subject beyond a doubt : 
 "I am the Almighty God."c "God Almighty blesa 
 thee."(^ " I am God Almighty." Declarations like 
 these, are found in more than fifty different passages 
 
 a Josh. X. 13. ^Nuin. xxiii. 19. c G«n. xvU. 1. dGgn. zxviii. Sand xxxv. IL 
 
PERFECTIONS OP GOD. 47 
 
 in the Bible. This is an attribute of so much impor- 
 tance in the character of God, for the security of his 
 kingdom, and as a foundation of entire confidence in 
 him, that it is represented as being a prominent senti- 
 ment in the song of hieaven, that " The Lord God Om- 
 nipotent reigneth."a 
 
 God is Omniscient. As he has created, and as he 
 constantly upholds all beings, it follows of course, that 
 he must know every thing concerning them. The 
 wisdom and design, that we discover in many of the 
 works of God, must convince and satisfy the mind, that 
 he is infinite in knowledge. Who can contemplate 
 with the least attention the corporeal system ot man, 
 the operation of his mind, or the systems of worlds 
 with which we are surrounded, without being convinced 
 that he who made them is Omniscient ? But the 
 testimony of Scripture is still more explicit " He is 
 mighty in wisdom."6 " He that is perfect in know- 
 ledge, is with thee."c " I know that no thought can 
 be withholden from thee.'W " Great is the Lord and 
 of great power, his understanding is infinite. Thine 
 eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men." 
 
 Another of the naturual perfections of God, is Omni- 
 presence. He is not confined to any one place in the 
 universe. He doubtless makes different manifestations 
 of himself to different charaicters, in different places. 
 But though it may be said that he is ever with his peo* 
 pie, and that he forsakes the wicked, still in another 
 sense, it is true, that if we ascend into heaven, or make 
 our bed in hell, or if we take the wings of the morning 
 and dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth, we are 
 surrounded by him, and cannot escape his presence.e 
 As he has created all things, for ought that we can see, 
 all things must constantly depend on him. He must 
 
 <iHey.xix.6. ftJobxxxiM. S. cjfor. 4. ' rf Chap. xlli. 2. Jer.xuii.W. Acti it. 
 8. Ps. cixiix. 2. Bom. Jti. 38. ^jPs. cxxxix. 1. 
 
48 PERFECTIONS OF GOD. 
 
 be every where in order to support and preserve in 
 existence the works of his hands. There is also, wher- 
 ever we have any knowledge of existence, a constant 
 agency to be discovered, which can be attributed to no 
 other being. We may also readily see, that if he be 
 not every where present, he cannot be infinite in 
 knowledge. But it is needless to spend time in en- 
 deavoring to prove from the light of nature, that which 
 is clearly and undeniably established in the Bible. 
 " Am I a God at hand, Saith the Lord, and not a God 
 afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places, that 
 I shall, not see him ? saith the Lord : Do I not fill hea- 
 ven and earth la The heaven and heaven of heavens 
 cannot contain' thee."6 
 
 . Q. What are^the moral perfections of God ? 
 
 A. They are Benevolence, Justice, Truth, Mercy, ^c. 
 
 1. God is Benevolent. Whatever arguments there 
 may be from the light of nature in proof of this, we 
 can see no good reason for stating them or dwelling 
 upon them, since it is a point on which the Scriptures 
 speak with so much decision. The writers of the Bi- 
 ble Seem not contented merely with stating that God is 
 good, but they represent his moral character as made 
 up of benevolence. " God is love. He that dwelleth 
 in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him."c All his 
 natural and moral perfections are entirely and harmo- 
 niously employed in executing plans of benevolence. 
 " God so loved the world, that he gave his only begot- 
 ten Son, that whosoever belie veth in him should not 
 perishj but have everlasting life."<^ 
 
 2. God is Just. It appears rational that a being, 
 one of whose principal objects is to exhibit kindness 
 and benevolence, must be a just being. We can form 
 no conception how benevolence could exist without 
 
 a Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. i I Kings Tiii, 27. Ps. cxxxix. 1—12, c 1 John lY. 16. 
 (jjohuiii. 16, 
 
PERFECTIOIfS OF GOD< 49 
 
 justice ; neither could we have any rule by which wfc 
 might give it a due estimate. Justice, as the term is 
 applied to the Deity, generally implies, that he will 
 render to all beings their rights, according to an equi- 
 table and righteous scale. But what this scale is, by 
 which ■ the rights and characters of beings are to be 
 estimated, we have no knowledge till we look into the 
 Scriptures. We not only have this standard clearly 
 revealed in the Bible, but are assured that God is de- 
 termined to support it. " Think not that I am come 
 to destroy the law or the prophets, (said the Savior,) 
 I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I 
 say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or 
 one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be 
 fulfiled."a " Just and right is he."6 "Just and true 
 are- thy ways, thou King of saints, "c "A just God and 
 a Savior."d "A just weight and balance are the 
 Lord's."e 
 
 Again, he is a God of Truth. By the truth of God, 
 we mean that his representations are invariably ac- 
 cording to facts. That this is his character, we are 
 not entirely without evidence from the light of reason. 
 If he is a benevolent being, as we trust has already 
 been sufficiently shown, he must be determined to pro- 
 mote the greatest possible happiness of his creatures. 
 As truth is the foundation of all confidence, so it is 
 impossible without it, for that reciprocal trust to exist, 
 without which society cannot be happy. The veracity 
 of God, without the aid of revelation, can be seen only 
 in the uniformity of his works and providences. It is 
 said, with truth, th&t he speaks to the children of 
 men by his works and ways. So far as the lesson 
 which we may derive from these sources is uniformv 
 so far we discover his truth. It cannot be denied, that 
 we uniformly, whatever object we contemplate, receive 
 
 a Matt. T. 17, 18. * D»ut. jattii. 4. •lUsr. it. S. dJn.idy.il. e Prov. xtI. 11. 
 
50 PERFECTIONS OP GOD. 
 
 an impression that God is wise and powerful. Neither 
 can it be denied, that the events of almost every hour 
 tell us, that the happiness we derive from this world, 
 was not the object for which we were created. 
 
 The testimony of Scripture upon this point, is plain 
 and decisive. When God was pleased to proclaim 
 unto Moses his name, he declared himself to be " abun- 
 dant in ^truth."a Again he is said to be " a God of 
 truth. "6 " Thou hast redeemed me, Lord God of 
 truth."c " The paths of the Lord are mercy and 
 truth."i " The Lord his God who keepeth truth for- 
 ever."e ' " It is impossible for God to lie.'y This at- 
 tribute of Jehovah we can never seriously contemplate 
 but with the deepest interest. It secures the fulfill- 
 ment of every promise and every threatening con- 
 tained in the Bible. 
 
 Another of the perfections of God, is Mercy. This 
 we have in substance, already proved. We have 
 shown that God is benevolent, and mercy is one of the 
 various ways by which benevolence is exhibited. By 
 mercy we are to understand kindness bestowed on such 
 as are' unworthy. The existence of mercy supposes 
 guilt or unworthiness, and this supposes a rule of jus- 
 tice by which men are estimated and condemned. In 
 dealing better with mankind than they deserve, God is 
 constantly manifesting his mercy. In continuing our 
 lives, when by his law we are under the sentence of 
 condemnation, affords a conclusive evidence that he is 
 merciful. The whole system of salvation, as revealed 
 in the Bible, is only one infinitely glorious planYor the 
 exhibition of mercy. He is the " Lord God merciful 
 and gracious.''^- The passages which speak of the 
 mercy of God, are so numerous, it is useless to cite 
 them.A 
 
 (1 Ex. ixsiy. 6. b Deut. ixxii. 4. c Pa. xixl. S. d Ps. xiv. la e P». ciIt!. 6. 
 /Heb. vi. 18. g^.xxxit.6. A Ps. cxxxT. 26. 
 
PEKFECTIONS OP GOD. 51 
 
 There are other displays which God is pleased to 
 make of himselfl which by some writers are called 
 perfections, which are in truth butvaryiflg exhibitions 
 of such as have been already mentioned ; such as ho- 
 liness, by which we mean his hatred and opposition to 
 sin, and wisdom, by which is meant the choice of good 
 ends and well adapted means for their accomplishment. 
 In view of all the perfections of God, as seen by the 
 light of nature and of revelation, are we not con- 
 strained to acknowledge, that, as a being to govern the 
 world, to inspire the most unshaken coufidence, and to 
 form, by an exhibition of his own nature, a theme for 
 eternal admiration and praise, it is impossible for us to 
 discover the least defect in his character ? 
 
 Boddridg^t Lectures. Hopkins' System. Dwight's Theology. 
 
SECTION IV. 
 
 TJNITY OF GOD, DIVINITY OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE 
 HOLY SPIRIT. 
 
 Q. I. What evidence have we that there is but one 
 God? 
 
 A. It is evident from the unity of design that we dis- 
 cover in all bis works.' From the uniformity of the 
 laws of nature it is certain, that if there be more than 
 one, they act in perfect concert, and it is impossible to 
 form any conception of two infinite beings, which, in 
 every respect are exactly alike. If they are in any re- 
 spect unlike', bbth cannot be infinite ; and if they are 
 in every conceivable particular alike, it will follow that 
 they are but one. But this point is decided in the Scrip- 
 tures beyond a question. The Divine unity is unequivo- 
 cally established, and the worship of more than one God 
 is expressly condemned. The Creator of the world is 
 represented as one agent. But the proposition is still 
 more unequivocally supported by direct passages of 
 Scripture. " The Lord our God is one Lord."a " I 
 am the first, and I am the last, and beside me there is 
 no God."6 " There is none other God but one."e 
 
 Q,. II. What are we to understand by the doctrine of 
 the Trinity ? 
 
 A. It is not meant that God is three in the same 
 
 sense, as that in which he is one ; but there is a mys- 
 
 . terious distinction between what are called the persons 
 
 in the Godhead, which renders the use of the pronouns 
 
 /, thou, and JCe, just and proper. 
 
 Q. III. What do we understand by the word person, 
 as it is used in reference to this subject ? 
 
 a D<ut. vl, 4. b U. xlir.,S. • 1 Cor, Tiii 4. 
 
UNITY OF GOD. 53 
 
 A. Not the same as being, which is the usual mean- 
 ing of the word when applied to other subjects, but to 
 denote that distinction whick exists, as we have ob- 
 served, in the Godhead. As we do not attempt to de- 
 fine that distinction, but only to prove that it is sup- 
 ported in Scripture, neither do we attempt to show the 
 precise meaning of the word person when applied to it. 
 
 Q. IV. What evidence have we that this distinction 
 exists ? 
 
 A. As this is a question about which we should have 
 no knowledge, were it not for the Bible, so in our inves- 
 tigation of it, the Bible must be our sole dependence. 
 
 1. God is spoken of in many passages in the Bible, 
 both in the singular and plural numbers. " And God 
 said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness."a 
 " And the Lord God said, Beheld the man has become* 
 as one of us, to know good and evil."6 " Go to, let us 
 go down and confound their language."c The usual 
 name for God is plural in the Hebrew ; and in a multi- 
 tude of passages it is used in both numbers in one short 
 sentence, as " I am the Lord thy God." 
 
 2. It is evident from the use of the pronouns /, thou 
 and he, to which we have already alluded. " The Lord 
 hath said unto me, Thou art my Son ; this day have I 
 begotten thee."(f " For unto which of the angels said 
 he at any time, Thou art my Son ; this day have I begot- 
 ten thee ? And again, I will be unto him a Father, and 
 he shall be to me a Son V'e " But unto the Son he saith. 
 Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever ; a sceptre of 
 righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.'/ 
 
 3. That there are three persons in the Godhea^, is 
 evident from the form in which baptism is administered : 
 " Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them 
 into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost."^ By this passage, it must be plain, 
 
 a Gen. i. 26. ,6 iii, 22. «c xi. 7. d P». ii. 7. « Heb. i. 5. /Hob. i, 8, g Matf 
 xxviii, 19. 
 
54 DIVINITY OP CHRIST. 
 
 that the distinction in the Godhead must be something 
 more than a distinction in different offices. We can 
 scarcely conceive of a dft-ection more unmeaning than 
 a command to baptiae into the name of an office. " For 
 there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, 
 the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are- 
 one."* 
 
 Q. v. What evidence have we that Jesus Christ, the 
 second person in the Trinity, is the true God ? 
 
 A. 1. He is called by the names of God. " In the 
 beginning v?as the Word, and the Word was with God, 
 and the Word was God : The same was in the be- 
 ginning with God. All things were made by him, 
 and without him was not any thing made that was 
 made."a 
 
 That the Word, whiSh in this passage is said to be 
 God, is no other than the Lord Jesus Christ, is evident 
 from the 14th verse of the same Chapter : " And the 
 Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." " But 
 unto the Son he saith, [that is, God the father saith] 
 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever."6 " Feed 
 the church of God, which he hath purchased with his 
 own blood."c He is called " the true God :" " This is 
 the true God and eternal life."rf He is called " the 
 mighty God :" " Unto us a child, is born, and his name 
 shall be called the Mighty God."e He is called the 
 only wise God : " To the only wise God our Savior. 'y 
 He is called " God over all :" " Of whom, as concerning 
 the flesh, Christ came, who is God over all, blessed for- 
 
 o. Joini. 1— 3. 6Heb.i.8. cAct3xx.2S. d IJohnv. 20. elsa. ix.6. /Jude25. 
 
 * This passage, it is well known, has been thought, hy some learned and orthodox 
 Divines, to be spurious. Dr. Middleton, with great ability and research, has shown that 
 all the obiections to the ffenuinenessof this passage are groundless. See Greek Article, 
 p. 342. The opinionof Dr. Scott, to the mind of the candid reader, will appear rational. 
 It is more likely that this passage, in the heat of controversy, has been left out, (as it is 
 wanting in some copies) bylhe Arians, than that it was ever forged and inserted by the 
 orthitdox. One argument in proof of this of no small weight, is the faci th^^t in the 
 fourth century, in their zeal to disprove the divinity of the Holy Spirit, they expunged 
 John iv. 24 from the Bible. That this passage is genuine is not questioned ^tthe pres- 
 ent-day, and yet, that it waa expunged is the tadtimony^of Ambrose, (IVIilner, Ariu- 
 ■trong'a edition, p. 169.) 
 
DIVINITY OP CHRI3T. 55 
 
 ever."a He is called " Lord of all :" « The word 
 which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching 
 peace by Jesus Christ ; he is Lord of all."6 He is 
 called " the Lord of Hosts :" " Mine eyes have seen 
 the King, the Lord of Hosts."c The apostle John says 
 that the prophet made this remark in view of the glory 
 of Christ.tf He is called " The first and the last :" " I 
 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the 
 first and the last."e Lastly, he is called " Jehovah :" 
 " I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and this 
 is his name whereby he shall be called, the loed [or 
 Jehovah] our righteousness.'^/" 
 
 2. As another evidence that Jesus Christ is the true 
 God, all the attributes of God are ascribed to him. He 
 is represented as omniscient : " Peter said unto him, 
 Lord, thou knowest all things."g' He was perfectly 
 acquainted with the hearts of men.h He is possessed 
 of omnipotence : " I am Alpha and Omega, the begin- 
 ning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which 
 was, and which is to come, the Almighty.''^ That this 
 declaration was made by the Lord Jesus Christ, we 
 shall be satisfied beyond a doubt, if we look at the 17th 
 and 18th verses of the same chapter , " Fear not, I am 
 the first and the last, and am he that liveth and was 
 dead."j 
 
 He is omnipresent. " Where two or three are gath- 
 ered together in my name, there am I in the midst of 
 them. " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end 
 of the world."A There are other passages, such as 
 Heb. i. !J, where he is represented as " upholding all 
 things by the word of his power," from which it may be 
 clearly inferred, that he is every where present. But 
 these are sufficient. It is impossible to conjecture how 
 he may be in the midst^f every worshiping assembly, 
 
 oEom.ii.5, fAct8i.36. cUa.vi.B. dJohnxii.41. eRev. i. U.andxxil. 13, 
 compared with IsaUh xliv. 6. / to. xxiii. 6. s John xii. 17. AMat. ix. 4, and«a- 
 «6,Lilk» ». 22, « Rer. i. 8. /Rev. 1. 18. A Ittat. xviii. 20. xxriii. 20. 
 
56 DIVINITY OP CHRIST. 
 
 and accompany every minister of the gospel unto the 
 end of the world, unless he is omnipresent. 
 
 He is eternal. This is plain from many expressions 
 which we have already quoted, such as the following : 
 " I am the first and the last." If he were the first, none 
 could have been before him. If he be the last, none 
 can be after him. " In the beginning was the Word, 
 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."a 
 He is said in this passage to be co-existent with the Fa- 
 ther. He is before all things, and by him all things 
 consist.''^ 
 
 He is immutable. " Jesus Christ, the same yester- 
 day, to-day, and forever."c 
 
 3. The works of God are ascribed to Christ. 
 
 1. " All things were made by him, and without him 
 was not any thing made that was made, and the world 
 was made by him."d " By him were all things created 
 that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and in- 
 visible : * * * all things were created by him and 
 for him;"e " By whom are all things, and we by 
 him.'y " And thou, Lord, in the beginning, hast laid 
 the foundations of thi earth, and the heavens are the 
 works of thy hands."^ Here we have the testimony of 
 the Father, that the foundations of the earth were laid 
 by the Son, and that the heavens are the work of his 
 hands. But it is the work of God to create ; therefore 
 he must be God. 
 
 2. He preserves and upholds all things. " Who up- 
 holdeth all things by the word of his power."A " By 
 him all things consist.''^ This also, is the work of 
 God : " Thou hast made the heaven of heavens, the 
 earth, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preser- 
 vest them alV'j 
 
 3. The Lord Jesus Christ "is the Governor of all 
 
 oJohni. 1. 6CoI. i.l7. c Heb. xiii.8. dJohni. 3. 10. e Col. i. 16, 17. yi Cor. 
 Tiii.6. ffHel).i.iq,ll. A Heb. i. 3. iCol. i. 17. >Neh. ix. 6. 
 
DIVINITY OP CHRIST. 57 
 
 things. " But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O 
 God, is forever and ever.a " And I saw in the night 
 vision, and behold, one Uke the Son of Man came with 
 the clouds of heaven ; and there was given him domin- 
 ion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, 
 and languages, should serve him : his dominion is an 
 everlasting domimon."6 " Who is over all, God blessed 
 for ever."c 
 
 4. The Lord Jesus Christ will judge the world. " We 
 must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."rf 
 " The Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and 
 the dead, at his appearing and kingdom."e For we 
 shall all stand before the 'judgment seat of Christ.'jT 
 These are but a small part of the passages which speak 
 decisively on this point. But it is said with equal de- 
 cision, that God, and he only, is to judge the world.g- 
 
 5. The Lord Jesus Christ/org-iues sins. " Jesus, see- 
 ing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy. Son, be of 
 good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee." The Savior, 
 knowing that the scribes for this declaration accused 
 him of blasphemy, inquired of theiri whether it was 
 "easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say. 
 Arise and walk?" He then observes, " That ye may 
 know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to for- 
 give sins, he saith to the sick of the palsy, Arise, take 
 up thy bed, and go unto thy house."A But if every sin 
 that is committed is against God, it is obvious, in addi- 
 tion to all that is said in the Scriptures, that it can be 
 forgiven by no other being in the universe but by him. 
 
 6. The Lord Jesus Christ has claimed to be equal 
 •with God. " Therefore the Jews sought the more to 
 kill him, because he had not Only broken the Sabbath, 
 but said also, that God was his Father, making himself 
 equal with God." The Savior, instead of denying this 
 
 oHeb. i. 8. i Dan. vii. 13, 14. cKom. ix. 5. d 2 Cor. v. 10. e2Tini. ir. 1. /Kom. 
 xiy. 10, and Mat. xjcv. 31—46, and John v. 22, and AOa x. 42, *nd xvii. 31. fPs. 
 zcri. 13, and Ker. iz. 12 13. A Mat. ix. 2, 6. 
 
58 DIVINITY OF CHRIST. 
 
 charge, tells them that " All men should know the Son 
 even as they know the Father."a " He thought it not 
 robbery to be equal with God."6 How can we explain 
 these passages, without impeaching the veracity of the 
 Savior, unless we admit that he is the true God ? 
 
 7. Our Savior was, while on earth, and ever will 
 remain, the object of divine worship. The Savior him- 
 self taught, as we have just seen, that " All men ought 
 to honor him even as they honor the Father." When 
 he appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, 
 " They worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with 
 great joy." The passages which assure us that divine 
 worship was paid to the Redeemer, without exciting on 
 his part a single objection, are too numerous to be 
 repeated.c That to render homage and worship to the 
 Lord Jesus Christ was not a mistake into which men 
 were led through ignorance, we have certainly very 
 high authority. " When he bringeth the first begotten 
 into the world he saith, Let all the angels of God wor- 
 ship him"d Here is an explicit command from the 
 Father, that angels shall unite in the worship of the Son 
 of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. That worship is paid 
 to him in heaven, the most pure and humble which 
 heaven itself can admit, is established in the Revelation 
 of St. John beyond a doubt.e Now all this worship, 
 unless the Lord Jesus Christ is the true God, can be 
 nothing but idolatry. Idolaters, w^ are assured, shall 
 " not inherit the kingdom of God." And we are told 
 also that they " shall have their part in the lake that 
 burneth vyith fire and brimstone, which is the second 
 death." But as odious as this sin appears in the sig^^t 
 of God, and as dangerous as it is to the soul, unless the 
 doctrine for which we are contending is true the whole 
 current of Scripture is directly calculated to lead us into it. 
 
 We have shown that the titles and names of God, 
 
 o Johnv. 18,23, * Phil. ii. 6, c See Mat. xxTiii. 17, Luke ?v. 25, Mark v. 6, xv. 
 19, John XX. 28. dHeb. i. 6, e Rev v. 6, 13, and Tii. 10. xv. 3. 
 
DIVINITY OK CHRIST. 59 
 
 that the attributes and works of God, are ascribed in a 
 great portion of the Bible to the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 We have shown that he has the prerogatives of God, 
 and has himself claimed to be equal with God. We 
 have shown that he has received divine homage, and 
 will receive it in the future world to eternal ages. 
 Such as are not convinced by these arguments that the 
 Lord Jesus Christ is the true God, who mean.to put 
 implicit feith in the truth of the Scriptures, we are 
 strongly inclined to ask, with what terms could a propa- 
 sition be formed, that would be acknowledged as con- 
 clusive proof? If clear and unequivQcal ascriptions of 
 all the names, attributes, works and prerogatives of the 
 eternal Jehovah, to the second person in the Trinity, 
 will not prove that he is God, we acknowledge that if 
 we were requested to form a proposition that Would do 
 it, we should give up the undertaking as hopeless. 
 
 Q,. VL Are .there not some passages in which our 
 Savior is represented both by himself andthe apostles 
 as inferior to the Father ? 
 
 A. It is readily admitted that in some passages the 
 Savior represents himself as being unable to do any 
 thing without the Father. " Verily, verily, I say unto 
 you, the Son can do nothing of himself." And again, 
 " I can of myself do iiothing."a We also admit that 
 the Savior declares himself to be ignorant of the time 
 when Jerusalem should be destroyed, and that it was 
 known only to the Father. In accordance with|this, it 
 is said by the apostle, " Then cometh the end, when he 
 shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the 
 Father, and when all things shalljbe subdued Unto him ; 
 then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that 
 put all things under him, that God may be all in all."& 
 The answer we would give to the objection grounded 
 upon these passages is th's : they are siich representa- 
 
 a Jobn, V. 19, 30, Mark ziii. 32. b I Cor. zr. 24-2S.i 
 
60 DIVINITY OP CHfilST. 
 
 tions as we should expect to find from our views of the 
 Savior's character. If he be really man as well as 
 God, as we certainly must believe, and if, as Mediator, 
 a kingdom is committed to him by the Father, we ought 
 to expect to meet with representations indicative of this 
 subjection and inferiority. That the Savior possesses 
 this twofold character, we willingly admit; and we 
 defy our opponents to give us a fair and candid expia- 
 tion of the two numerous classes of passages which 
 speak of his humanity and divinity, upon any other 
 principle. The passage last mentioned, from the apos- 
 tle Paul, is one on which the opposers of the doctrine 
 for which we are contending place their chief depen- 
 dence ; and yet to such as mean to abide by the decision 
 of Scripture, -it must appear plain that he meant to as- 
 sert nothing inconsistent with the divinity of Christ. If 
 there be a phrase in this passage that has such a com- 
 plexion, it is this : " Then shall the Son also himself be 
 subject unto him that put all things under him, that God 
 may be all in all." This same apostle, in his Epistle to 
 the Galatians, tells us expressly that Christ is all and 
 in all. 
 
 That this connexion between the human and divine 
 natures of Jesus Christ is mysterious, we are not back- 
 ward to acknowledge, since it has been cheerfully ac- 
 knowledged before us by an inspired apostle. " For 
 without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness : 
 God was manifest in the flesh."a But that there is any 
 thing in the doctrine absurd, or repugnant to reason, 
 we deny. 
 
 There seems to be a presumption on the minds of 
 some persons that the doctrine contains a supposition 
 that is impossible. But can it be proved by reason, that 
 the Spirit of God cannot be located, as far as the term 
 is proper in reference to the Supreme Divinity, in a 
 
 o 1 Tim. iii 16. 
 
PERSONALITT OF THe'hOLT GHOST. fll 
 
 body like ours ? And is it impossib]e that a voice 
 should proceed from that body to which the elements 
 should be obedient ? Is this more difficult to conceive, 
 than that a similar voice should proceed from a cloud, 
 as in the case of Moses, or from a whirlwind, as in the 
 case of Job ? By this connection of human and divine na- 
 tures in the person of the Son, our world is furnished with 
 a divine example. We see the temper or spirit of him 
 whose operations we discover in every motion of the 
 wind, and whose voice we hear in the storm and thunder. 
 
 But another, and if possible a more glorious object 
 is accomplished by this connection ; a character is 
 formed, whose sufferings aa a sacrifice are infinitely 
 meritorious. Did our^Lord Jesus Christ possess none 
 but a divine nature, we cannot conceive how he could 
 suffer. ■ Were he nothing but a man, we caiinot con- 
 ceive how his sufferings should make such a declara- 
 tion of the righteousness of God, that he might be just 
 when he justifies the sinner that believes. 
 
 Q. VII. What evidence have we of the distinct per- 
 sonality of of the Holy Ghost ? 
 
 A. Although the distinct personality of the Holy Spir- 
 it is more often disputed than "his divinity, we see no 
 justifiable reasons for disputing either. The most plau- 
 sible hypothesis which is suggested by those who deny 
 the personality of the Spirit, is that the term implies 
 nothing but an attribute of God. They generally sup- 
 pose it to be tYie power of God ; but the arguments which 
 we shall advance to show that this hypothesis is false, 
 will be equally decisive against supposmg it to be any 
 other attribute. 
 
 1. This hypothesis renders the scriptures wholly un- 
 intelligible. Power is frequently represented as an attri- 
 bute of the Holy Ghost ; " That ye may abound in hope, 
 through the power of the Holy Ghost."a Now if we 
 
 a Som. zr. 13. 
 4 
 
62 PERSONALITY OF THE HOLT GH08T. 
 
 insert the power gf- God in the room of the Holy Ghost, 
 in this passage, it will render the passage wholly un- 
 meaning : " That ye may abound in hope, through the 
 power of the power of God." The same may be said of 
 the following passage : " How God annointed Jesus of 
 Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power."a And 
 also of another passage in the chapter before quoted, 
 " Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of 
 the Spirit of God."* It must readily recur to the mind 
 of every reader, that passages like these are numerous 
 in the Bible. From this single suggestion it must be 
 apparent, that the term Holy Ghost cannot mean the 
 power, of God. 
 
 2. If the Holy Spirit be nothing but an attribute, we 
 can form no conception why blasphemy against it should 
 be unpardonable. If we suppose it to be an agent, by 
 which the sinner is convicted and led to Christ, the ac- 
 count will appear rational. But on the other supposition, 
 why blasphemy against the power or wisdom of God 
 should be so much worse than blasphemy against his 
 love, holiness, truth, or mercy, it is impossible to conjec- 
 ture. 
 
 3. It is evident that the Holy Ghost is a distinct per- 
 son, from the manner in which he is united to the other 
 persons in the baptismal service. "Go teach all nations, 
 baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Squ, and of the Holy Ghost." <; It has been already ob- 
 served, that it would be absurd to suppose that this i-ite 
 is to be applied in the name of an attribute. We may 
 here observe in addition, that the absurdity is still more 
 apparent, if we remember that this attribute is connect- 
 ed with the two other persons in the Truiity. Baptism 
 would in that case be administered into the name of God 
 the Father, and into the name of God the Son, and into 
 the name of an attribute of God. 
 
 a Acta z. ^. i Bom. xr. 19. c Mat. xsrili. 19 
 
PEftSONALITY 09 tHlfl SOLt GBOS¥. 63 
 
 4. That the Holy Spirit is a distinct agent, and of 
 course a distinct person, is plain from the actions which 
 are ascribed to him. He is said to move, to know, to 
 guide, to lead, to testify, reveal, search, prophesy, inter* 
 cede, give gifts, to work in the soul of man, to work 
 miracles, sanctify, to be pleased, vexed, grieved, &c.— » 
 We certainly need spend no time to show, that if all 
 these actions can be ascribed to an attribute, the Bible 
 will constantly mislead the honest read«r. 
 
 Q. VIII. What evidence have we that the Holy 
 Spirit is the true God ? 
 
 A. As our arguments in proving this point from the 
 nature of things must be similar lo those with which we 
 have already proved the divinity of Christ, in our re- 
 marks upon it we shall be very briefi 
 
 1. The names of God are ascribed to the Holy Ghost. 
 " Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy 
 Ghost ? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."a 
 " Now the Lord is that Spirit. "6 " Know ye not, that 
 ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God 
 dwelleth in you V'c 
 
 2. The perfections of God are ascribed to the Holy 
 Spirit. He is said to be the eternal Spirit. " Who 
 through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot 
 to God.'W 
 
 3. He is said to be omniscient, " For the Spirit 
 searcheth all things, even the deep things of God."e 
 
 4. He is omnipresent. He must, in order to "search 
 all things," be omnipresent. 
 
 2. The works of God are ascribed to the Holy Spirit. 
 
 1. The scriptures are said to be given by inspiration 
 of the Holy Ghost. " Holy men of Qbd spake as they 
 were moved by the Holy Ghost." They are also said 
 to be given by the inspiration of God/ 
 
 oActaT.4. 4 2 Cor. lii. 17. c 1 Cor. iii. 16 : Sea ri. 19. dH«b. U. 14. e 1 Cor. 
 ii. 10. /2 Pet. i. 21, 2 Tim. iii. 16. 
 
64 PERSONALITY OF THK HOLT OHOBT. 
 
 2. The work of regeneration is ascribed to the Holy 
 Spirit.a But regeneration is said also to be the work of 
 God.6 These 'passages, it is presumed, with all who 
 mean not to dictate the word of God, but to submit in 
 all the articles of their faith to its decisions, will appear 
 abunda,ntry sufficient to establish the Deity of the Holy 
 Spirit beyond a doubt. 
 
 Jones on ths Trinity. Wanjlaw. Dtvight'i Theology. Stuart's Letters to Channingi 
 a John iii. 3, 6, 8, Tit. iii. 5. b John i. 13, 1 John iii. 9, It. 7. 
 
SECTION V. 
 
 UNIVERSAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 
 
 Q. I. What are we to understand by the universal 
 government of God ? 
 
 A. That universal and infinitely wise arrangement 
 and effectual control of every event, by which he will 
 secure his own glory, and promote the greatest possi- 
 ble good of the universe. 
 
 Q,. II. What evidence have we that God does over- 
 rule every event, so as eventually to promote the best 
 interests of the universe ? 
 
 A. This evidence arises from a view of his perfec- 
 tions, and the testimony of the Bible. We are aware 
 that no doctrine in the whole compass of theology has 
 excited a more bitter and violent hostility than this ; 
 and that in every attempt to defend it, we have to com- 
 bat the most unreasonable prejudices ;* still, as the evi- 
 dence by which it is supported is little if any less cer- 
 tain than mathematical demonstration, we are bound to 
 believe it, and treat it as the truth of God. It is pre- 
 sumed that all who believe in the existence of God will 
 cheerfully concede to the views which we have given 
 of his perfections. 
 
 1. The first argument we shall mention in proof of 
 this doctrine is grounded upon these perfections. If 
 the great Jehovah is infinite in wisdom, it is certain that 
 he must know what events it is best on the whole should 
 exist. If he be infinite in power, it is certain that he is 
 able to produce every such event, and to prevent the 
 
 * The reader is reiiuested to suspend his decisions upon this subject till he has taa 
 did!/ examined the answers that are given to the objections 
 
66 OOVKHNMENT OF COD. 
 
 existence of every other. If he be infinite in benevo- 
 lence, he will as certainly desire the existence of such 
 events and such only. How is it possible to evade this 
 conclusion, and not impeach some one of these perfec- 
 tions ? Should he not choose to have those events, and 
 and those only, brought into existence, which would on 
 the whole promote the greatest good, would he not be 
 deficient in goodness ? Should he choose this and not 
 be able to effect it, would he not be deficient inpower ! 
 Should he, accomplish what he supposed would effect 
 it, and it should prove that he had not succeeded, would 
 it not prove him deficient in wisdom ? There is anoth- 
 er method frequently adopted by the friends of this doc- 
 trine, of applying in substance the same argument. It 
 is stated thus : with regard to the existence of every 
 event, God must have been willing or unwilling, or in- 
 different. To suppose that he can be indifferent, espe- 
 cially about the existence of those events which are of 
 a moral nature, is to suppose that which is irnpossible. 
 It would represent him as indifferent to the interests 
 of his kingdom. About events which are not of a mor- 
 al nature, there can be no controversy. There can be 
 no inducement to oppose the doctrine of divine pur- 
 poses, only in reference to moral actions. About such 
 events it is presumed that no one will affirm that God 
 is indifferent. Our next inquiry is, can it be supposed 
 with regard to any event, that he was unwilling it 
 should exist ? If on the whole he was unwilling, it is 
 certain, as we have already seen, that he must have 
 been deficient in power. But if he were neither indif- 
 ferent nor unwilling, the other supposition must be true, 
 that he must have willed the existence of every event. 
 Wherein is the conclusion, from this argument, in ei- 
 ther of its forms, less certain than demonstration ? Is 
 it not plain, that if we deny that the government of Jeho- 
 vah extends to every event, we sacrifice his character ? 
 
SOVERNMENT OF GOD. 67 
 
 2. There is a connection existing between events, 
 which renders it absurd to suppose that some are de- 
 termined, and others not. It is presumed, that the per- 
 son cannot be found, who would seriously affirm that 
 God has determined the existence of no events. Such 
 events as the birth and death of the Savior, it will doubt- 
 less be acknowledged by all, were determined before 
 the world began. But on how many other circumstan- 
 ces does such an event as the death of Christ evidently 
 depend ? Or, in other words, with how many others 
 is this event connected ? In order that Christ should 
 be put to death, he must be betrayed ; there must be 
 such a character as Judas : he must be tempted with 
 thirty pieces of silver, &c. Now all the events con- 
 nected with the life of Judas, from the time of his birth 
 to the time when he betrayed his Master, had an influ- 
 ence in forming his character. Shall we then say, that 
 God had determined that his Son should be put to 
 death and the. time when it should be done, but had de- 
 termined nothing about the means by which it was to 
 be eifected?. I trust that the bare statement of this 
 question is sufficient to show, that if the death of Christ 
 was determined, the determination could not have been 
 accomplished unless the other events with which it is 
 connected, and which involve the moral conduct of 
 men, had been also determined. 
 
 It is acknowledged also, by all who believe the Bi- 
 ble, that in every event which is conducive to the pros- 
 perity of truth and righteousness in the world, God has 
 an agency. If this be not true, then the kingdom of 
 God is promoted without his assistance. But are not 
 events so connected and interwoven, as to render it 
 impossible that all such events should be determined, 
 and no others ? Besides, it is an undoubted truth, that 
 some at least of the vilest conduct of which mankind 
 were ever guilty, has been overruled to the promotion 
 
68 GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 
 
 of good, such as the conduct of Joseph's brethren, and 
 that of the Jews in the death of Christ. Now all the 
 agency which God has exerted in controlling these 
 events, it must be acknowledged, if he be immutable, 
 he had always determined to exert. Did he determine 
 to control events, in the existence of which he had nei- 
 ther choice nor influence ? If so, there are many 
 events independent of God ; and if this be asserted, we 
 are deprived of all proof of his existence. It can be 
 no more difficult to account for the existence of all 
 events without a God, than for the existence of a part. 
 But if it be acknowledged that he has some kind of 
 agency in the existence of every event, it must also be 
 acknowledged that he has determined the whole of his 
 own actions. The conclusion is unavoidable, that the 
 purposes of God extend to every event. 
 
 3. The same point is undeniably established by the 
 Scriptures. " Who worketh all things after the coun- 
 sel of his own will."a " The Lord hath made all things 
 for himself."6 " I am God, and there is none like me, 
 declaring the end from the beginning, and ft-om ancient 
 times the things that are not yet done, saying, My coun- 
 sel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure."c 
 
 Again, the Scriptures so explicitly assert that such 
 events as death, and the day of judgment, are determined 
 of God, that no believer in the Bible will dispute it. 
 But these depend on innumerable other events, which 
 of course are in the plan of God, and which at the same 
 time are of a moral nature. The unavoidable result of 
 this reasoning is, that if some events are determined of 
 God, the whole are ; and every prophecy in the Bible 
 is of course a proof of the point in debate. But if ar- 
 gument will convince, it is believed that enough has 
 been exhibited to satisfy every honest and inquiring 
 mind. 
 
 L a Eph. i. II. b Pfov. xvi. 4. c Isa. ilvi. 10. 
 
GOVERNMENT OP GOD. 69 
 
 Q. III. Does not this doctrine destroy the free agen- 
 cy of men ? 
 
 A. As this is one of the most plausible, as well as 
 most common objections, we shall endeavor to show, 
 both from reason and from scripture, that it is wholly 
 without foundation. In what way is it pretended that 
 this doctrine destroys the agency of man ? It is pre- 
 sumed that those who urge the objection have no no- 
 tion nor idea that it is done in any other way than by 
 rendering our actions certain. The general question 
 that we hear upon this subject is, if it be previously 
 certain what course I shall take, how can I be free 1 
 It seems indeed to be taken for granted, that certainty 
 cannot be consistent with freedom. We would then 
 ask whether it is possible to conceive that God is able 
 to create a being, if it were his intention, who should 
 be dependent on him for existence and support, whose 
 actions at the same time might be free ? To this ques; 
 tion there can be but one answer. No one, it is pre- 
 sumed, would be willing to say, that to create a free 
 agent is what the Almighty cannot do. And if crea- 
 ted and dependent beings cannot be free, the dispute 
 is at an end ; for men were created 5 and if mankind 
 are not free, their agency cannot be destroyed by the 
 decree of God. It must then be admitted that God is 
 able to create a being whose actions may be perfectly 
 voluntary. Now suppose that God should possess 
 such a knowledge of causes and of their operations, as 
 to know infallibly how this being would act in every 
 circumstance in which he should be placed. Is the 
 agency of this being injured by this knowledge ? It 
 has no possible influence upon his actions, and of course 
 his agency cannot be affected by it. Besides, if the 
 mere existence of this knowledge would destroy his 
 free agency, it must follow that God cannot be free. 
 His actions are certainly known to himself. The 
 
70 GOVERNMENT OP GOD. 
 
 conclusion is unavoidable, that a being may be free, 
 when his actions are all known to God. Since no- 
 thing can be more certain than the knowledge of God, 
 it follows that certainty may he consistent with free 
 agency. 
 
 We shall now proceed to show that certainty must 
 be consistent with free agency. ' This is proved by 
 one argument already advanced. *It will not be dispu- 
 ted but that God has a perfect knowledge of all the ac- 
 tions of men. We must then either deny thg,t men are 
 free in their actions, or admit that necessity, or previ- 
 ous certainty, must be consistent with agency. 
 
 Again, if we look at the operations of the mind in 
 choosing, we shall see that the very causes that render 
 our actions certain,- render them free. In every in- 
 stance of choice, in preferring that object which the 
 mind judges to be most valuable, consists the freedom 
 of our actions. But if the mind be decided invariably 
 by the strongest motive, then it is certain in the nature 
 of things, previous to every choice, how it will termi- 
 nate. So long as it is wholly uncertain with the mind 
 in any given case, how it will decide, though the mind 
 may be said in that case to be free to choose, it is cer- 
 tainly not free in choosing. With such a freedom of 
 choice, a man might remain forever without a free act. 
 So long as the mind is undecided or indifferent, it will 
 not act. If we contend that as soon as the mind is in- 
 clined toward the one or the other side of the question, 
 it is no longer free, then it is certain that there is no 
 such thing as freedom of choice. To illustrate this 
 point, suppose that three men are required to perform 
 a deed of charity, which cannot be done without some- 
 thing of a sacrifice ; they had been before repeatedly 
 tried in similar cases ; the first had never complied ; 
 the second had complied at times, but with reluctance ; 
 the third had never failed when an opportunity pre- 
 
OOVERVMENT OP GOD. 71 
 
 sented. When the requirement is made known, the 
 first remains without deciding ; the second, after a sea- 
 son of suspense, reluctantly consents to perform it ; but 
 the third determines with cheerfulness to do it as soon 
 as the request is heard. Now, was it not, previous to 
 the trial, more certain that the third would comply 
 with the request, than either of the others ? And will 
 not -every person acknowledge that' of the three he 
 acted the most freely ? If that choice which was pre- 
 viously mosi certain was still the most fuee, then cer- 
 tainty must be consistent with freedom. • 
 
 From the very nature of the divine character, it is 
 certain that God will always do right. Shall we say 
 that he is not free ? 
 
 Is it not certain that the devil will always do that 
 which is wrong ? If he be not free, how can he be 
 blamed ? 
 
 3. We shall now attempt to show that the scriptures 
 estabhsh the point in question beyond all dispute. 
 
 It will be readily seen that in every prophecy which 
 is descriptive of the future conduct of men, this point 
 is unequivocally established. This conduct could not 
 have been predicted, had it not been known, and cer- 
 tain. It could not have been criminal, or praise- wor- 
 thy, had it not been free. It will not be denied but 
 that the crucifixion and death of Christ were predict- 
 ed centuries before they took place. Still it is said 
 that he was crucified with wicked hands. a Our Sav- 
 ior foretold that Peter would deny him.& Neither the 
 Savior nor Peter ever gave the least intimation but 
 that he was free. The greater part of those writings 
 which are called the prophets, which extend from the 
 beginning of Isaiah to the end of Makichi, is made up 
 of predictions descriptive of the conduct of men. — 
 What is the book of Revelation but a chain of prophe- 
 
 a A«ti ii. 23. b tulu zzii 34. 
 
72 GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 
 
 cies, in -which the conduct of nations and individuals 
 is minutely foretold ? And what can be said of the 
 prophecies, of the apostles concerning the apostacies 
 of the latter days ? That these apostacies were pre- 
 viously certain cannot be doubted. That they were 
 represented as vile in the sight of God is equally cer- 
 tain. Is it not then obvious, that if men cannot be free 
 when their conduct is previously certain, no depend- 
 ence can be placed upon the Bible ? We trust, how- 
 ever, that we have shown that certainty is not only 
 consistent with freedom of choice, but that without it 
 we cannot be free. This objection then, against the 
 doctrine of God's universal government, that it de- 
 stroys the agency of men, is plainly without founda- 
 tion. 
 
 Q. IV. If all events are in the purposes of God, then 
 he has determined the existence of sin ; and if so, is it 
 not evident that he is pleased with its nature ? 
 
 A. By no means ; such a conclusion would be equal- 
 ly at war with the Bible, and with the plainest dictates 
 of common sense. Nothing could be more evident 
 than that God was willing on the whole that his Son 
 should be put to death. For this purpose he was sent 
 into the world. Now shall we conclude that this event 
 in itself was pleasing to God ? He was willing that 
 the inhabitants of the old world, of Sodom, and Gomor- 
 rah, should be destroyed, or he Would never have sent 
 destruction upon them. But who will say that he was 
 pleased with those events in themselves ? He sends 
 afflictions upon his people, but he declares he does not 
 afflict them willingly. Because a parent considers 
 that the good of his child, and the welfare of his family 
 require that his child should be corrected, to infer that 
 he is pleased with such ,an event in itself, would not 
 only be a strange and irrational inference, but would 
 be doing great injustice to the motives of the parent. 
 
GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 73 
 
 Ffom these remarks, it is believed, the reader must see 
 that an event may be pleasing in itself, and displeasing 
 when connected with other things ; and on the contra- 
 ry, it may be displeasing in itself, and pleasing when 
 connected with other things. 
 
 Q. V. Does not this doctrine represent the great Je- 
 hovah as insincere ? Does it not represent him as in- 
 viting and commanding men to do one thing, when he 
 is determined that they shall do another ? 
 
 A 1. It is no more difficult t'o meet this objection, for 
 those who support the doctrine of decrees, than for 
 those who believe in the absolute foreknowledge of 
 God. If God has created and upheld beings, when he 
 knew with unfailing certainty that they would violate 
 his law, it would be im|ft)ssible to convince any reflect- 
 ing and unbiassed mind that he vras not willing, on the 
 whole, that in these instances it should be violated. It 
 he were not on the whole willing, it was not in big pow- 
 er to prevent it. This objection then must bear as 
 heavily upon all who believe in the Bible and in the 
 perfect knowledge of God, as on those who advocate 
 the doctrine of decrees. 
 
 2. That God has determined the conduct of men in 
 some instances, when it was in opposition to his com- 
 mands, and that it is consistent with the purity and 
 holiness of his character, must appear evident from the 
 following facts : He determined that the Savior should 
 be put to death ;a still it was a direct violation of his 
 command. He commanded Abraham to sacrifice his 
 son ;b and yet, the event showed, that he had deter- 
 mined it should not be done. He commanded Pha- 
 raoh to let the children of Israel go ; but the event as 
 well as his explicit declaration showed that he did not 
 expect his command would be obeyed.c 
 
 3. We shall now attempt to show that if the deter- 
 
 a Acta if. 27, 28. Rav. ziii. 8. b Gen. xzn. 1—14. c Ex. viii. 20, 32, and xi. 10. 
 
74 GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 
 
 minations of God do' extend to the volitions of wicked 
 men, his character remains unimpeached. 
 
 1. This is evident from what we have already ob- 
 served. Surely no one will contend that it would be 
 just for God on the whole to be willing that certain 
 events should exist, and wrong for him to determine 
 their existence. 
 
 2. To illustrate this point still further, let us suppose 
 a being to exist, who has all the faculties of a moral 
 agent. He is placed in circumstances, where obedi- 
 ence and disobedience, and their different consequen- 
 ces, are entirely at his option. Without the least in- 
 fluence from any other being, he chooses the path of 
 disobedience. Now suppose that God has knowledge 
 sufficient to see with clearness every act through his 
 whole life ; that he sees also how he may overrule the 
 whole of his conduct, so as- to promote his own glory. 
 Is this agent in any way injured, or is his agency im- 
 paired by this knowledge ? or is it unjust for God to take 
 the advantage of his conduct, to execute designs of be- 
 nevolence ? To these questions, so long as the agent suf- 
 fers no foreign influence, there can be but one answer. 
 That such a line of conduct, as that which the sinner 
 would naturally choose, would not he of all others the 
 best, taking every thing into view, to he overruled for 
 the promotion of infinitely wise purposes, is more than 
 Tnen or (ingels can know. Besides, we may readily be- 
 lieve that some important purposes might be accom- 
 plished in a kingdom as extensive as the kingdom of 
 Jehovah, by having it known to what conduct a spirit 
 of rebellion would lead, and what conduct the wisdom 
 of God can so overrule as to promote his infinitely be- 
 nevolent designs. But granting further, granting all 
 that can be required in this case, that God does, by 
 placing motives before the mind in his providence, lead 
 men to different acts of wickedness from what they 
 
GOVERNMENT OF GOD, 75 
 
 would Otherwise have committed, we shall now under- 
 take to prove that it does not reflect the least impro- 
 priety or injustice upon his character. 
 
 Upon every fair and honorable principle of reason- 
 ing, nothing more can be required of us than to pro- 
 duce facts and arguments which obviously support our 
 statements. To show how God can operate on the 
 mind of men, so as to direct or control their actions 
 without impairing their agency, is what we are no 
 more required to show, than how the saint can be free 
 when the Spirit of God operates upon him, or how he 
 can enable the mind to operate on the body, or how 
 he can enable us to see, or hear, or think. But, lest 
 this should be thought an evasion, we shall attempt 
 to do more than in fairness can be required of us ; 
 we shall attempt to show how God may overrule the 
 wicked conduct of men, consistently with the purity 
 and holiness of his character. But while we proceed 
 to show how he may do it, the reader is requested to 
 bear in mind, that we do not pledge ourselves to de- 
 scribe precisely his manner of doiiig it ; for this it will 
 be perceived no one could safely pretend to do, unless 
 he were his equal in wisdom. Let us resume the sup- 
 position we have already made : 
 
 1. That the sinner is free in the strictest sense of 
 the word ; and that the great Jehovah, by so disposing 
 of motives in his providence, should lead him to diffe- 
 rent acts of sin than he would otherwise have commit- 
 ted, but which, while they are no more guilty, may be 
 better overruled for the accomplishment of benevolent 
 designs, can it be said that any injustice is done to the 
 sinner ; or that God has done anything unworthy of 
 his character ? While the sinner is not injured, all 
 that God has done is a display of benevolence and 
 wisc^oitt. 
 
 2. If the divine influence is to be so exerted as to 
 
76 GOVERNMENT OP GOD. 
 
 restrain the sinner, and thus render his criminality less 
 than it would otherwise have been, it cannot be said 
 that his agency is injured, or that he is treated unjustly. 
 If men cannot be restrained without having their agen- 
 cy impaired, what shall we say of the influence of the 
 precepts, penalties, and threatenings of the Bible ? 
 
 3. When the mercies of God are abused by men, he 
 is the occasion of their sin, though by means which 
 ought to have the contrary effect. In all these ways 
 men have often influenced the conduct of others ; and 
 if their own motives have appeared upright, they have 
 been uniformly justified. .Luther, whose sagacious 
 mijid saw the ambitous disposition of Henry VIII., 
 without resorting to improper or unjust measures, drew 
 him into his plans, and he became an important instru- 
 ment in promoting the reformation. Although Henry 
 may be supposed not to have had a single upright motive, 
 is it not plain that his sin was most likely far less than it 
 would otherwise have teen, and Luther, upon every 
 hones-t principle, must be fully justified ? Neither can 
 it be imagined that if Luther had possessed infinite 
 wisdom, or power, his influence over the mind of Henry 
 would have been any the less consistent with his agen- 
 cy. It is perfectly immaterial as .it respects the argu- 
 ment, what Luther's wisdom or power was, or how 
 this influence was exerted, ■whether by arguments, or 
 precepts and penalties, if it be in any way that is consis- 
 tent with the agency of the mind. Where is the pa- 
 rent that would not feel bound, if it were in his power, 
 to manage and overrule in this way, the misconduct of 
 his own children ? The man that would not do it, 
 would have no disposition to lessen the quantity of 
 moral evil, and promote the interests of benevolence. 
 
 Now can it be imagined that he who created the 
 mind, and knows beyond the possibility of mistake the 
 influence of motives upon it, cannot exert an influence 
 
GOVERNMENT OF OOD. 77 
 
 upon it ill a manner as consistent with its agency, as 
 that which men exert upon each other ? How is it 
 possible to prove that the conduct of wicked men is 
 ever directed by the Almighty in any other than in 
 some of those ways which have now been mentioned ? 
 These are sufficient to warrant all the declarations of 
 scripture in reference to his purposes. It seems to be 
 an impression which men too readily receive, that if 
 God overrule their conduct so as to accomplish his 
 purposes, they are no longer agents ; whereas we can 
 form no conception how purposes of holiness and grace 
 can be accomplished by them, unless they are free 
 moral agents. On every other supposition they cannot 
 be the subjects of praise &nd blame, and of course of 
 pardon and salvation. 
 
 There is not a sentiment, it is well known, contained 
 in the Bible, that inherits a gfeater share of the blind 
 and unreasonable virulence of the natural heart than 
 this, that God controls and overrules the conduct of 
 wicked menl By some it is alleged as the reason why 
 they reject the Bible, as though the first view of it 
 were sufiicient to show that any book that should con- 
 tain it were too absurd to merit their notice. By others 
 it is thought to be an apology for sip, carrying with it 
 a sufficient weight to put to silence, at least, every be- 
 liever in the doctrine. But if, as we have seen, it 
 involves no principle of conduct but what they do and 
 ought to justify in each other, if they attempt thus to 
 abuse it, the veil is so flimsy, and the deception of their 
 reasoning is so obvious, it can afford them but a sorry 
 resting place. 
 
 As evidence in proof of the pdint in question, in 
 addition to the facts which have been already produced , 
 the reader is requested to look at the following and 
 similar events of Divine Providence. 
 
 By a corrupt government, the apostle Paul was sent 
 
78 GOVERNMENT OF SOD. 
 
 from Jerusalem to Rome. This event was so over- 
 ruled by the great Head of the church, as greatly to 
 promote the prosperity and spread of the gospel. Paul 
 was a successful missionary at Rome, and the govern- 
 ment were at the whole expense of his journey. There 
 was not a place on earth where it was so important at 
 that time that the gospel should be established, as at 
 Rome. In this case it was doubtless a less sin in that 
 part of the Roman government by which the apostle 
 was sent from Palestine to Rome, than if he had been 
 put to death. But that their motives in all their con- 
 duct were corrupt, and thai many were anxious to put 
 him to death, cannot be doubted. The case of Joseph 
 and his brethren is in many respects similar. In the 
 course they pursued with him, their guilt was not 
 greater, and with some it was much less, than if they 
 had put him to immediate death. Still, how immensely 
 important this event proved, both to the family of Ja- 
 cob and to the church of God. Now if God could 
 overrule the conduct of these men without the least 
 injury to their agency, and if in these cases his cha- 
 racter can be vindicated, it certainly can be in every 
 other. 
 
 On the whole, let it not be understood by any re- 
 marks that have been made, that we would intimate 
 that men are not entirely dependent on God. In the 
 suppositions that have been introducsd to explain this 
 subject, this consideration was not brought into view, 
 for this reason ; it does not at all affect the question. If 
 man be endowed with all the powers of a moral agent, 
 and is so far supported, that in every instance he is 
 able to act a-s such, wherein could he be more free if 
 he were independent ? In view of all that has been 
 said, may it not in justice to the cause of truth be asked, 
 where is the propriety or candor in charging the sup- 
 porters of this doctrine of divine purposes with making 
 
GOVERNMENT OF GOD, 79 
 
 men machines, or with degrading the divine character ? 
 Is it not pride and presumption to assert that God has 
 not knovrledge and povirer sufficient to govern moral 
 agents, without intruding upon the freedom of their 
 actions, or staining the purity of his own character ? 
 
 Q. IV. Does not this doctrine discourage exertions 
 in the use of means ? 
 
 . A. If because events are made certain by the pur- 
 poses of God, all encouragement for exertion is de- 
 stroyed, then the same consequences will follow una- 
 voidably from the knowledge of God. Should it here 
 be objected that there is in truth no such thing SlS fore- 
 knowledge with God ; but that every event, present, 
 past, and future, are equally present with nim, it is 
 cheerfully granted. This is only rendering events, if 
 possible, still more certain. If all our conduct in the 
 present world, and our final destiny in the world to 
 come, are now present with God, it is evident that a 
 purpose can render them no more certain. But we do 
 not intimate by these remarks that we consider this 
 certainty as inconsistent with encouragement for exer- 
 tion, but we merely wish it to be seen that we are 
 answering the objection for those who make it, as well 
 as for ourselves. We have room to remark upon it 
 only in reference to the duty of prayer. But our 
 rema'rks will be equally apphcable to every other. , In 
 view of this duty, we would ask, is not the hope that 
 God will hear and answer our prayers our only en- 
 couragement to pi'ay ? But in hearing and answering 
 our prayers, have we the least expectation that he will 
 do any thing that he has not intended to do ? And if 
 he have intended to hear and answer ouf prayer in 
 any one instance, that intention, if he be unchangeable, 
 must be co-eternal with himself. If he have no 
 such intention in his mind, in consequence of having 
 our prayers eternally before him, then in order to 
 
80 feOVEENMENT OP GOD. 
 
 answer them, he must change. This doctrine, then, 
 is our only ground of hope. Having our desires eter- 
 nally present with him, there is hope that he does now, 
 and of course has eternally designed to answer, them. 
 And what more can we want ? His ears are now 
 open, and have* eternally been open, to every humble 
 and sincere desire we offer. That there is ground of 
 encouragement for exertion, when the event is unalter- 
 ably certain, and entirely dependent on the pleasure 
 of God, is a doctrine whjch every man in practice 
 beHeves. Upon what other principle does the hus- 
 bandman cultivate his fields ? What encourages the 
 sick man to seek a remedy, when he believes he has 
 an appointed time on earth ? The same questions are 
 applicable to the conduct of men in all the various avo- 
 cations of life. The man that would plead the certain- 
 ty of events, or his dependence On God, as an excuse 
 for neglecting his ' health or his property, would be 
 considered either an object of pity or of contempt. 
 
 Finally, we see not how God can be infinite in wis- 
 dom, power and benevolence, nor how the Bible can 
 be true ; we see not how men can be free, and have 
 any encouragement to act ; and more than all, we see 
 not how God can be true to the interests of the Uni- 
 verse, nor how any confidence can be placed in his 
 government, if his purposes do not extend to every 
 event. 
 
 Edwards on Ihe Will. Dwight's Theology, Dr. Woods' X'Stters to TlBitaiians. 
 
SECTION VI. 
 
 Moral oovERNMENf ob" oop. 
 
 Q. I. What is meant by the moral government of 
 Gdd? 
 
 A. His treating men as moral beings, giving them 
 laws, and making them the subjects of* rewards and 
 punishments. The fundamental principles of his gov- 
 ernment are revealed in those precepts which are usu- 
 ally called the moral law. The more we examine these 
 ptinciples, the more we discover that they are the foun- 
 dation of a wise and holy administration. They se- 
 cure, whenever they are perfectly obeyed, the most 
 peaceful and happy state of society of which we^ can 
 form any conception. No system of government that 
 is formed by men can be found, though it may occupy 
 Volumes, that is adapted to every case ; while the 
 principles of this law, as epitomized 'by the Savior, are 
 contained in two short and easy sentences, and yet 
 they contain an infallible standard, by which we can 
 estimate every moral action that ever existed. Thou 
 shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy 
 neighbor as thyself. These two sentences exhibit the 
 substance of the decalogue. If we look at this law as 
 it was originally written upon the tables of stone, we 
 shall perceive in it a scale of moral obligation, upon 
 which the rights of all moral beings are placed accor- 
 ding to their importance. It is uniformly acknow- 
 ledged by all who believe in the existence of God, that 
 from the relations we sustain to him, as Creator and 
 preserver, and from the perfections of his character, 
 we are under greater obligation to him than to any 
 
82 MORAL GOVERNMENT OF 000. 
 
 other being in the universe. To promote happiness 
 is the supreme object of all beings. His happiness, as 
 he is infinite in all his perfections, is more important 
 than that of all other beings. Perfectly according 
 with this, the first command in the decalogue requires 
 that the supreme affection of every being should be 
 placed on him. The object in the second, third, and 
 fourth commands, is doubtless to prevent the violation 
 of the first. An attempt by any materia] representa- 
 tion or image vfhatever, to present the great Jehovah 
 before the mind as forbidden in the second, naturally 
 tends to produce limited and imperfect views of his 
 character ; and the habit of trifling with the nam& of 
 God, or of indulging a familiar and unnecessary use of 
 it as forbidden in the third, removes from the mind all 
 that fear and reverence which we should ever cherish 
 toward him. 
 
 The fourth gives us an opportunity to dismiss those 
 earthly and distracting cares, which too often make us 
 slaves to the present world, and assist us to renew up- 
 on our minds a sense of duty to God, to our fellow men, 
 and of the destinies that await us beyond the grave. 
 The original design of this command was undoubtedly 
 to give mankind an institution by which they might 
 preserve in fresh remembrance this truth ; the heav- 
 ens and the earth are thp works of God. In this way, 
 so long as it was obeyed, it would be the means of pre- 
 venting their falling into idolatry. 
 
 The other six of these commands, contained on what 
 is called the second table, regard entirely the duties 
 we owe to each other. As there is no obligation ex- 
 isting among men so great as that which children are 
 under to their parents, the first requirement upon this 
 table presents a clear and summary view of their duty 
 to their parents. Should we descend along down this 
 scale, and inquire what among all the interests of bur 
 
MORAL GOVEENMENT OF GOB. 83 
 
 neighbor we ought to regard as the most sacred and 
 most important, the answer would be, life. Accord- 
 ingly, by the next command, as far as it is obeyed, life 
 is rendered secure. 
 
 In the two next, the purity, domestic peace, and pro- 
 perty of mankind, are rendered equally safe ; and the 
 two last commands seem intended to give some effec- 
 tual directions, by which, the whole of the second ta- 
 ble may be kept inviolate. Thus it is evident from 
 this brief examination of the law, that if it were the 
 object of the great Jehovah to form a standard of mor- 
 al conduct to secure a state of society that is absolute- 
 ly perfect, this law iff just as it should be. If this law 
 were universally and perfectly obeyed, all moral be- 
 ings in all their operations would move together as 
 harmoniously as the solar system. 
 
 Q. II. What is the penalty of the law ? 
 
 A. Upon this subject there are different opinions.— 
 Some suppose it to be temporal, others spiritual, and 
 others eternal death. Some conceive it to be the pain, 
 but especially the reproaches of conscience that we 
 experience in the present life, and others a limited pun- 
 ishment in the future world. 
 
 That it cannot be temporal death, must appear evi- 
 dent from the following considerations : 
 
 1. If temporal or natural death be the penalty of 
 the law, then believers are not redeemed from it ac- 
 cording to the most explicit declarations of the Bible- 
 " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law."a 
 " There is therefore now no condemnation to them who- 
 are in Christ Jesus."* 
 
 2. If natural death be the penalty, salvation cannot 
 be of grace. If the sinner in his own person suffer all 
 that the law demands, it is impossible to show where- 
 in he can be saved by grace. 
 
 a Qal. iii. 13. b Rom. f iii. 1 ; see also Rom. Hi. 28. 
 
84 
 
 MOEAL GOVERNMENT OP GOD. 
 
 The penalty of the law cannot be the evils we suffer 
 in this life. Among these I would include the re- 
 proaches of a guilty conscience. 
 
 1. The declarations we have already mentioned, 
 whiclj show that real Christians are redeemed from the 
 curse of the law, are equally as decisive in' proving 
 that neither the remonstrances of conscience, nor the 
 afflictions of the present life, can be the curse of the 
 law. It cannot be questioned but that these are suf- 
 fered to a greater extent, in many instances by the 
 children of God, than by many of the most vile and 
 hardened sinners. 
 
 2. If these things are the curse of the law, then the 
 afflictions and the self-reproaches which men experi- 
 ence in the present life, must be exactly in proportion 
 to their sin. If not, the penalty of the law is not equal 
 nor just. But is it not a tryth that never can be so- 
 berly questioned, that many of the most vile and aban- 
 doned characters have more success in their various 
 undertakings, and less self-condemnation, than others 
 who are well meaning, and far less guilty ? It is a 
 point which no candid man, it is beheved, would un- 
 dertake to support, that the miseries of men are in ex- 
 act proportion to their characterslin the present life. 
 We shall next proceed to show that the cui-se of the law 
 cannot be spiritual death. By spritual death is usually 
 meant death in sin, or a destitution of spiritual life. If 
 this be the curse of the law, then 
 
 1. Christians are not entirely redeenjed from it ; and 
 the apostle's assertion that there is no condemnation to 
 them who walk not after the flesh, but sifter the Spirit, 
 cannot be understood. , 
 
 2. If this be the penalty of the law, then our crime 
 and our punishment are the same thing. Upon this 
 principle, every act of sin must be its own punishment ; 
 or, a succeeding act or series of acts must be the punigh- 
 
MORAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 85 
 
 ment of a preceding. If we adopt the first ■ of 
 these suppositions, that every act of sin must be its ovi^n 
 punishment, we confound cause and eifect together^ 
 If crime be not the cause of punishment, or the reason 
 why it is inflicted, we can place no dependence on the 
 meaning of words. It is evident that, understood in 
 this sense, spiritual death cannot be the penalty of the 
 law. It is more generally supposed that a succeeding 
 series of acts is the penalty for a preceding one. But 
 upon this principle, sinners are universally pleased with 
 their punishment. If for one transaction, the sinner is 
 condemned to sin again, taking every thing into view, 
 it is precisely what he chooses. If it should be said 
 that the consequences of this course of sin will be mi- 
 sery, it may be replied, if the consequences are any 
 thing different from a voluntary commission of sin, they 
 are not the penalty ; and if they are considered in any 
 sense worse than the penalty, they are unjust. What- 
 ever trials and afflictions the wicked experience from 
 sickness and other causes in the present world, they 
 are upon this principle manifestly unjust. It must cer- 
 tainly be admitted, that all which the sinner deserves 
 for his sin is threatened by the law, if the law be a just 
 and perfect rule. .Now if the sentence of the law be 
 merely death in sin, every thing else which he receives 
 as punishment, or which is worse than the sentence, 
 must be unjust. If a prisoner be condemned for some 
 misconduct, and be sentenced to simple confinement, 
 would he not deem it unjust should he receive a severe 
 correction with the lash ? 
 
 3. If spiritual death be the penalty of the law, it does 
 not manifest on the part of God any opposition towards 
 sin. Are we to suppose that God is infinitely opposed 
 to sin, and yet, in the punishment he denounces against 
 it, none of that opposition is manifested ? Where shall 
 his views and feelings towards sin be discovered, if not 
 
 9 
 
86 MORAL GOVERNMENT Of GOD. 
 
 from that punishment with which he haS threatened it ? 
 But if this punishment be nothing but a continual repe- 
 tition of the crime, wherein does he manifest any aver- 
 sion towards it, or wherein does he show that he is 
 better pleased with holiness ? 
 
 Were an earthly government to pursue a cotirse like 
 this, and were it to order that every man who is guilty 
 of a crime shall continue to repeat it, would they man- 
 ifest towards that crime the least aversion or displeas- 
 ure ? From the arguments we have now bi-iefly sta- 
 ted, though the opinion be advocated by able and good 
 men, that spiritual death is the penalty of the law, we 
 must believe that the opinion has been embraced with- 
 out due reflection. 
 
 Neither can we suppose that the penalty of the law 
 is a limited punishment beyond the grave. If this be 
 the penalty of the law, it must be either that punish- 
 ment which the sinner will actually suffer, or that is 
 longer in duration than the punishment threatened- 
 But the Scriptures give us not a hint concerning a pun- 
 ishment that will be longer in duration than that which 
 the incorrigible sinner will actually suffer. The dura- 
 tion of this punishment is expressed by such terms as 
 everlasting, for ever and ever, eternal, &c. This is the 
 punishment which the sinner will suffer, and we have 
 no mention of any other. But if we suppose it to be 
 that punishment which sinners will suffer, and if we 
 suppose it will ever terminate there will be some event- 
 ually in heaven who are not saved by grace. To say 
 that the person who has suffered all that justice requires 
 can be saved from " wrath to come, through Jesus,"a! is 
 a contradiction in terms. 
 
 Neither can we believe that the penalty of the law 
 is the death of the soul or annihilation. From the fre- 
 quent use of the words perish, destruction, destroyed, 
 
 alThu. 1. 10. 
 
MORAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 87 
 
 &c. in the Scriptures, some are inclined to believe that 
 the punishment which is threatened, and which incor- 
 rigible sinners vrill finally suffer, is annihilation. But 
 this cannot be reconciled with the uniform language 
 of Scripture. The wicked are said to suffer, to be 
 tormented, to weep and wail ; and their punishment is 
 compared to the gnawing of a worm that "never 
 dies."a 
 
 2. If annihilation be the penalty of the law, then all 
 incorrigible sinners are punished alike. It is presumed 
 no one will undertake to contend that upon the princi- 
 ples of justice all are equally ill deserving ; of course, 
 such a punishment must be manifestly unjust.* 
 
 Lastly, if the curse of the law be none of these things 
 which we have mentioned, it must be eternal death. 
 As a farther and more conclusive proof, we remark, 
 
 1. A violation of the law of God, if it be not coun- 
 teracted, will produce an infinite evil. A violation of 
 any law, if not prevented, will produce an evil equal 
 to the importance of the law. There is a plain rule, 
 and one the equity of which cannot but be seen, by 
 which we determine the importance of a law. It must 
 from the nature of things, be equal in importance to 
 
 ♦ It is the opinion of some men that the penalty of the law is not any one thing that 
 has been mentioned, but every thing taken in connection that may be called evil. 
 How it is, that viewing these things together, as the penalty of the law, removes ths 
 objections which have been urged against their being thus considered as singly, it ia 
 not easy to determine. If the penalty of the law be death, temporal, spiritual, and 
 eternal, how is it tiiat the believer in the presentlife is under no condemnation ? This 
 
 Soint, that the real Christian is delivered from all condemnation in this iife, does not 
 epend on a few msulated passages of scripture. It is believed that- no one tliat brings 
 to the investigation of this subject an honest and inquiring mind, would be willing to 
 say, and undertake to defend it, that the believer can.be ju^tiged, while a particle of 
 the curse or condemnation remains upon him. I^artial justification, it is believed, is 
 what no one will advocate. The following passage, among many others, will show 
 that every believer ia justified. " That he might be just, and the justifier of him that 
 believeth."6 "^that believe are Justified from all thing9."c "A man is justified, 
 byfaith."d * 
 
 %. It must be seen that if spiritual death, with the natural evils of the present life, 
 are considered as belonging to the penalty of the law, then the sinner is already under^ 
 going the process of retribution. As far as he experiences (he penalty of the law in thin 
 life, so far he receives according to the deeds done in the body before he leaves it. If 
 the reader wish to see whether the Scriptures support the opinion tliat the present is a 
 state of trial or probation, and the future a state of retribution, lie is requested to look 
 at the answers to the questions on that subject, 
 
 a Mark iz. 44, 36, 48. Lukeziii. 28. iRom. lii, 2S. cActszUi. 39. <2Rom. iii. 
 28. Gal. ii. 16. iii. 24. 
 
88 MORAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 
 
 the interest it is designed to secure ; of course, no pen- 
 alty can be just but that which threatens the trans- 
 gressor with an evil that is equal to either. IT it were 
 not equal, the execution of the penalty would not re- 
 pair the law. Of course, 
 
 2. Nothing short of eternal death will express the 
 opposition of an infinitely holy being towards sin. 
 
 3. If the sufferings of no other being but Jesus Christ 
 would so far manifest the displeasure of God against 
 sin, as to render it just for him to pardon it, then it 
 must be viewed by him as an infinite evil. 
 
 4. To be saved from any thing short of eternal death, 
 cannot be called eternal salvation. 
 
 Eternal death is threatened as the punishment of sin 
 throughout the Bible. " The wages of sin is death, 
 but the gift of God is eternal life."a Here, that death 
 which is the penalty of the law, is set in oppsition to 
 eternal life.b 
 
 Q,. III. If eternal death be the penalty of the law, 
 what are the natural evils which mankind experience 
 in the present world ? 
 
 A. They are the natural consequences of sin. When 
 sentence of death is passed upon a criminal, his con- 
 finement, and all its attending evils, are not the pen- 
 alty, but the consequence of his guilt. Besides, so far 
 as we suppose mankind to suffer the curse of the law 
 in the present life, so far the present is a state of retri- 
 bution. It is a sentiment of Scripture, that at the day 
 of judgment we are to render an account for the deeds 
 done in the body. But so far as the penalty of the law 
 is inflicted on sinners in the present life, so far the 
 scenes of retribution are mingled with those of trial 
 and probation. These trials and afflictions are often 
 important means of grace. 
 
 Q. IV. If the evils of the present life be no part of 
 
 a Rom. Ti. 23. b Mat. zzv. 4S. 2 Thes. i. 9. 
 
MOKAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 89 
 
 the penalty of sin, is it not unjust for sinners to suffer 
 them? 
 
 A. As it would he just for God to execute upon the 
 sinner immediately the penalty of the law, it cannot be 
 unjust to suspend the execution, that he may give him 
 an opportunity to repent and secure everlasting life ; 
 neither can it be unjust in God to send upon him, during 
 this suspension, other evils, which are infinitely less 
 than he deserves. Besides, most of the evils of this 
 life are employed as means of mercy to convince men 
 of their guilt and reconcile them to God. 
 
 Q. V. If eternal death be the penalty of the law, 
 was not the declaration of the serpent true, " ThoU 
 shalt not surely die 1" and how was the contrary de- 
 claration of the Almighty fulfiled ? 
 
 A. Adam did not die an eternal death, nor did he 
 enter upon such a death, it is true ; but no thanks to 
 him or the serpent either, because it was justly de- 
 served, and because it was suspended, not as an act of 
 justice, but of infinite grace. As Adam fell under the 
 sentence of eternal death, the great Jehovah had an 
 opportunity to interfere with this plan of grace. But 
 if the penalty of the law were any thing else, if if were 
 not eternal death, and if it were executed upon him ; 
 or in other words, if he did die in the day that he ate 
 thereof, then it was impossible for him to be a subject 
 of grace. Justice had no demand against him, He 
 had suffered all that justice required. How then could 
 he be a subject of mercy ? The death, then, with 
 which Adam was threatened, must have been eternal 
 death, and the moment in which he became liable to its 
 execution, was the moment when the great Redeemer 
 consented to step between him and divine justice. 
 
 Scott'sBiWe. Hopkins' System. Dwight's Theology. Edwards against Chaimcey, 
 Burge on the Atonement. 
 
SECTION VII. 
 
 CHARACTEK OF MAN. 
 
 Q. I. What was the primitive character of man ? 
 
 A. The character of man, as he came from the hand 
 of his Creator, was that of perfect conformity to the 
 divine law. So God created man in his image : " In 
 the image of God created he him."a " Lo, this have 
 I found, that God hath made man upright."& 
 
 Q. II. Did man retain his primitive character ? 
 
 A. In consequence of one act of disobedience, the 
 character of man, when viewed according to the law 
 which we have examined, became entirely changed. 
 " Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the 
 world." " For if through the offence of one man many 
 be dead." " For if by one man's disobedience many 
 were made sinners."c " God hath made man upright, 
 but he hath sought out many inventions."^ 
 
 Q. III. What are we to understand by total moral 
 depravity ? 
 
 A. It is not meant by this term that sinners labor 
 under a want of any natural powers or capacities, to 
 perform what God has required, or that they arei as 
 sinful as they can be ; but it implies an entire destitu- 
 tion of holiness, or of any thing that is pleasing to God, 
 aid a mind devoted to voluntary and actual transgres- 
 sion. ; According to this definition, there can be noth- 
 ing to palliate or justify it. So far as it can be excus- 
 ed or justified, so far it is not blame-worthy, and cannot 
 be called moral depravity. After all this is conceded, 
 
 a Gaa 1. 27. b Eool. Tii, 29. c Rom. v. 12, 15, 17, 19. d EccL Tii. 29. 
 
CHARACTBR OP MAN. 91 
 
 we frequently hear depravity represented as a nature 
 that exists in the soul previous to all voluntary action, 
 and for the existence and operation of which, sinners 
 feel no more accountable than for the height of their 
 stature, or the color of their hair. How can we avoid, 
 they inqure, acting out our nature ? If God has 
 created us with such natures, must it not be expected 
 that we shall exhibit them 1 All this is urged by many 
 with an apparent degree of honesty ; but it is owing, 
 we must believe, either to a wish to adopt something 
 that will afford them an excuse, or to the indistinctness 
 of their views on the subject of agency. 
 
 Man, with all his faculties, as he came from the hand 
 of God, cannot be considered (aside from his conduct 
 or actions)'as either praise or blame- worthy. He can- 
 not be blamed for being created. Besides, for God to 
 create that which is unholy, in the being or charac- 
 ter of his creatures, is impossible. We have no other 
 standard by which we can distinguish that which is 
 holy or unholy, but the law of God. This requires 
 nothing but voluntary action, and of course can be vio- 
 lated by nothing else. The requirements founded up- 
 on this law never exceed the capacities of the sinner. 
 " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind 
 and strength." Accordingly, the apostle tells us that 
 " sin is a transgression of the law. Now, whatever 
 God has implanted in our natures by creation, is his 
 conduct, not ours ; and we find not any intimation in 
 the Bible in which we are required to repent of what 
 we are by creation, but of what we have done. We 
 are to be judged according to the deeds done in the 
 body. Now we do not meauiby action, merely those 
 decisions of the mind which command the body, but all 
 i ts movings, from the most incipient to the most impera- 
 t ive, which are either in approbation or disapprobation 
 of the various moral objects that come before us. For 
 
92 CHARACTER OF MAPf. 
 
 these actions, and for these only, we are account- 
 able. 
 
 Further, if the guilt of sin do not consist in the na- 
 ture of the action, or if it be sinful only as it springs 
 from a sinful cause, then it will be easy to show that 
 it has no existence. The first sin, it must be plain, 
 whatever be our views of its origin, could not have 
 had a sinful cause. It would suppose a sin before the 
 first. Besides if sin be blame-worthy only as it springs 
 from a sinful cause, and if we are created with an un- 
 holy nature, the consequence which we have already 
 mentioned must follow, that we are blameable only for 
 our creation. This view of depravity is directly op- 
 posed to common sense, as well as to the Bible. 
 
 Again, it is universally admitted, that in order for 
 men to be accountable, it is essential that they be vol- 
 untary, or free ; but we cannot conceive how it can 
 be essential that they should be voluntary, unless they 
 are voluntary in that for which they are accountable. 
 On the whole, to suppose sin, or depravity, to consist 
 in any thing but the voluntary actions of the soul, is to 
 impeach the character of God, and render every spe- 
 cies of human government unjust. When, therefore, 
 we speak of total depravity, we would be understood 
 to mean that the heart of man is entirely destitute of 
 holiness, and devoted to actual transgression. 
 
 Q. IV. What evidence have we that all mankind are 
 by nature thus totally depraved ? 
 
 A. However humbling to the pride of men this doc- 
 trine may be, we are furnished with evidence of its truth 
 as decisive and as convincing as that which attends 
 any subject of a moral mature. 
 
 1. By comparing the conduct of unregenerate men 
 with the law, the standard of moral conduct which we 
 have already examined, we cannot but be convinced 
 of the truth of this doctrine. " Thou shalt love the 
 
CHARACTER OF MAN. 93 
 
 Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy neighbor as 
 thyself." This is the rule by which we are to deter- 
 mine our characters. If there be no compliance in the 
 heart with this rule, there is nothing in it that is pleas- 
 ing to God. We know that there is scarcely a stronger 
 propensity in the human heart, than that by which men 
 are led to judge as favorably of their own characters 
 as they can ; still, however strong may be its influence, 
 we cannot perceive how men can for one moment con- 
 trast their conduct and feelings with this rule, without 
 a thorough conviction that they are wholly depraved. 
 If they apply the same meaning to the word love, as 
 when it is applied to other objects, how can they but 
 be convinced, so long as they murmur at his commands, 
 dread to view him as present, and never contemplate 
 his character with pleasure ; how can they but be con-, 
 vinced, that according to this rule their hearts are en- 
 tirely depraved ? 
 
 2. There are some declarations of Scripture which 
 were spoken in circumstances that render them as tes- 
 timony peculiarly important. Some passages of this 
 kind we have already quoted. " An,d God saw that 
 the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that 
 every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only 
 evil continually."a This declaration was made soon 
 after the apostacy of Adam. It is said to be the result 
 of what God saw ; and the terms are unusually plain 
 and unequivocal. That every imagination of the 
 thoughts of the heart were evil. They were not partly, 
 but only evil. They were not only evil for a time, but 
 continually. " The Lord looked down fi^m heaven 
 upon the children of men, to see if there were any that 
 did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside, 
 they are al^gether become filthy ; there is none that 
 doeth good, no not one."b 
 
 a Gen. ri. 5. i Ps. xW. 2, S. Saa Pa. liii. 3. 
 5* 
 
94 CHARACTER OP MAN. 
 
 3. There is a course of reasoning adopted by- the 
 apostle Paul, from which we may derive, in favor of 
 this doctrine, the most unanswerable evidence. After 
 having given in the two first chapters of his Epistle to 
 the Romans the character of the Gentiles, knowing the 
 pride of his own nation, v?hen he came to the ninth verse 
 of the third chapter, he introduces this question : 
 " What then, are we better than they ?" To this ques- 
 tion he gives the following answer : " No, in no wise : 
 for we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, 
 that they are all under sin ; As it is written, there is 
 none righteous, 'no not one : there is none that under- 
 standeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are 
 all gone out of the way, they are together become un- 
 profitable : there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 
 Their throat is an open sepulchre ; with their tongues 
 they have used deceit ; the poison of asps is under their 
 lips : whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. 
 Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and mis- 
 ery are in their ways : And the way of peace have they 
 not known. There is no fear of God Jsefore their eyes." 
 Now that the apostle designed this to be a description 
 of the character of the whole human race, must be 
 granted from these two facts : first, the two classes 
 that he mentions, Jews and Gentiles, evidently included 
 the whole. Secondly, when he comes in the nineteenth 
 verse to compare the character which he had described 
 with the law of God, he draws a conclusion concerning 
 all the world. " Now we know that what things soever 
 the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law : 
 that everji mouth may be stopped, and all the world 
 may become guilty before God." 
 
 4. The confession of the best of men, and especially 
 of inspired men, must be viewed as evidence in this 
 case of UQ ordinary weight. The apostle Paul, addres- 
 sing himself to the Ephesian church, observes, " And 
 
CHAEACTER OF MAN. 95 
 
 you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses 
 and sins ; wherein in time past ye walked according 
 to the course of this world."a What can be more de- 
 cisive and unequivocal than these declarations ? It is 
 according to the course of this world to be dead in 
 trespasses and sins. But in the next verse he liricludes 
 himself in the charge : " Among whom also we all had 
 our conversation in times past ; and were by nature 
 the children of wrath, even as others.''^ But God who 
 is rich in mercy, for his great, love wherewith he loved 
 us, even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us 
 together." 
 
 5. This is the only reason that is offered throughout 
 the Bible to account for the coming of our Lord Jesus 
 into the world. What can be plainer and more to the 
 point in question, than such declarations as the follow 
 ing ? " Because we thus judge, that if one died for all, 
 then were all dead."c How can he be said to be the 
 " propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but 
 for the sins of the whole world," unless the whole 
 world were dead in sin Id Indeed, is not the whole 
 economy of redemption bottomed on this fact, that men 
 are depraved ? How could it be proper to represent 
 the gospel as the ministry of reconciliation, if men were 
 not his enemies ? 
 
 6. We may derive the most convincing proof of this 
 point from the conduct of men. On this subject, the 
 history of the world precisely corresponds with the 
 representations contained in the Bible. It shows the 
 character of man to be exactly what we should expect 
 to find it, from what is said in the Scriptures. What 
 is the history of the world but one continued and gloomy 
 recital of guilt ? Perhaps it may be thought that this, 
 though it be true, does not amount to any evidence that 
 every man by nature is totally ctepraved. In answer 
 
 a Eph. ii. 1, 2. b Kph. ii. 3 and 4. c 2 Cor. v. U. d 1 John ii. S. 
 
96 CHARACTER OF MAJf. 
 
 to this, I would remark that there are circumstances in 
 which the real characters of men are exhibited without 
 the least disguise or restraint. These circumstances 
 are such as attend almost every man in some period or 
 other of his life. I refer to the houf of relaxation, when 
 the mind turns to the object that is most dear to the 
 heart, as naturally as a stone when it is cast into the 
 air tends toward the earth. Men may be induced by 
 motives of honor, profit, or fear, to perform an external 
 service, which, in its nature, is unpleasant to the heart ; 
 but when they turn to their pleasures without the least 
 hindrance or control, they let out the character of their 
 hearts without reserve. Look, then, at the various 
 objects, to which men in every age, and in every part 
 of the world, in the pursuit of pleasure, have uniformly 
 turned. Are they not such as afford undoubted evi- 
 dence that they " desire not the knowledge of his ways ?" 
 Is it not true, that the character of God, his omnipotence, 
 his perfectholiness,&c. are, of all other subjects, the most 
 unwelcome to natural men while in the pursuit of pleas- 
 ure ? And would it be possible to account for this 
 fact except upon this principle, that men by nature are 
 in a moral sense totally depraved ? Thus, as painful 
 and humiliating as this doctrine may be to our pride, 
 there is no doctrine which is supported by more con- 
 vincing and unequivocal evidence. 
 
 Q. V. In what sense did the whole human race fall 
 with Adam ? 
 
 A. We have already observed that the apostacy of 
 his posterity was in consequence of his disobedience. 
 This is according to a law, which, as far as we are able 
 to trace it, appears to be universal through the creation 
 of God. Through all the various species of men and 
 beasts, and through the whole field of vegetative na- 
 ture, it is so constituted, that every thing shall produce 
 its like. When Adam became a sinner, upon the same 
 
CHARACTEJl OF MAN. 97 
 
 principle that the offspring in every other species must 
 be like its progenitor, his offspring were sinners. " And 
 Adam begat a son in his own hlieness and after his 
 image."a 
 
 Q. VI. Is the sin of Adam in any sense ours, or are 
 we blamable for his sin ? 
 
 A. It is difficult to form any conception how one 
 being can violate a law for another, especially a law 
 that will accept of no service but that of the heart. 
 Is it not a point in which we all are agreed, that in 
 order that we might be the subjects of praise or blame, 
 we must possess the faculties of moral agents ? But 
 how could we possess these faculties in any other being, 
 before we had existence ? We might as easily believe 
 that we might be punished or rewarded in some other 
 being, thousands of years before we had an existence, 
 as that we might sin and be condemned in Adam. We 
 can no more be subjects of blame without existence, 
 than of punishment. Those passages of Scripture 
 which have usually been thought to imply that the sin 
 of Adam was ours, on a careful examination appear to 
 have no such meaning. " By one man sin entered into 
 the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon 
 all, for that all have sinned." Here the reason which 
 is given why all men die is that all have sinned. " By 
 one man's disobedience many were made sinners. "6 
 This proves nothing more than what we have already 
 stated, that it was in consequence of, or by reason of 
 Adam's sin, that all other men became sinners. In no 
 other sense can we conceive that Adam acted for his 
 posterity. If he sinned, his posterity, like the offspring 
 in every other case, were to be like him. This interpre- 
 tation is easy and natural, while every other will render 
 it impossible to reconcile these passages with other 
 parts of the Bible. " The soul that sinneth, it shall disi. 
 
 a Geo. T, 3. b Eoin. r. IS, 17, 10. 
 
98 CHARACTER OP MAN. 
 
 The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father nei- 
 ther shall the father bear the iniquity of the son : The 
 righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and 
 the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."a 
 
 Q,. VII. Is not the doctrine of total moral depravity 
 inconsistent with the perfections of God ? 
 
 A. We are aware that it is thought by many to be 
 a base reflection upon the character of God, to suppose 
 that he did not prevent, when it was perfectly within 
 his power, the apostacy of our race. They receive it 
 as conclusive evidence that he did not in any sense 
 wish to prevent it, and of course, that he is not opposed 
 to sin. It is true that God had power to prevent the 
 apostacy of Adam, and the entrance of sin into our 
 world. He might have established our race in a state 
 as perfect as that of angels ; but how, in that case, 
 would it have been possible for him to have exhibited 
 many of his perfections, which will now be seen with 
 endless and increasing lustre ? Take the story of Jo- 
 seph and his brethren, and suppose that his brethren 
 were as free as it is possible for dependent beings to 
 be : was it inconsistent with the character of God so 
 to overrule their conduct as to make it the occasion of 
 great blessings to them and . their posterity? And if 
 the depravity of our whole race can be so overruled 
 as to lay a foundation for a display of pardon, mercy, 
 tenderness, compassion, justice, holiness, &c. which 
 never would have been made without it, wherein was 
 the permission of sin on his part inconsistent with his 
 character ? 
 
 It will not be denied but that he had a right to place 
 them on trial ; of course, he was not under obligation 
 to prevent their fall ; and if his wisdom is such that he 
 can make the restoration of one to his favor an occa- 
 sion of higher joy in heaven than the perservation of 
 
 a Ezek. zriii. 29. 
 
CHARACTER OF MAN. 99 
 
 ninety and nine otherwise could have been, wherein 
 was the permission inconsistent with his moral perfec- 
 tions ? Moreover, this objection is to be answered in 
 another way. Is the doctrine of total moral depravity 
 taught in the Bible ? We trust that vi# have shown 
 that this question must be answered in the affirmative, 
 if we have any regard to candor or to truth. The Bible 
 stands upon its own foundation, and it certainly will 
 not be supposed that God has revealed doctrines for 
 our faith inconsistent with his character. 
 
 Q. VIII. Is not this doctrine inconsistent with free 
 agency. 
 
 A. This doctrine, as we have explained it, so far from 
 being inconsistent with the agency of men, is of itself a 
 conclusive proof that they are free. Upon what princi- 
 ple are they under obligation to obey the commands of 
 of God, if they are not free ? If they were not perfectly 
 voluntary, it would not be possible for them to be de- 
 praved. It is taken for granted by many, that so far 
 as we are depraved we are not free ; whereas, the 
 very reverse is true. What is there in the nature of 
 sin that is more inconsistent with liberty of action than 
 holiness ? And why may we not as well deny that a 
 perfectly holy being can be free, as one that is perfectly 
 sinful ? 
 
 Q. IX. If sin consist only in the voluntary act of the 
 soul, how can infants be sinners ? 
 
 A. It is generally considered that the answer to this 
 question is one of the most difficult in the whale system 
 of theology. That infants are treated as sinners, is 
 generally admitted. They are visited with sickness 
 and death. " By one man sin entered into the world, 
 and death by sin, and so death has passed upon all men, 
 for tHat all have sinned."a Their death, it is plain from 
 this passage, is evidence that they have sinned. Some 
 
 aSata. v. 12. 
 
100 CHAEACTEE OF MAN. 
 
 endeavor to maintain the^t they are guilty of the sin of 
 Adam, and others that they inherit a nature from him, 
 which is the cause of ail their sinful exercises. But 
 we can derive no relief for ourselves by making them 
 guilty in tha^in which they are no more active or vol- 
 untary than in the color of their hair, or by supposing 
 that they sinned five thousand years before they exist- 
 ed ! We have already offered our objections to both of 
 these opinions. But what evidence have we that they 
 may not be actual sinners as soon as they are born ? 
 It must be supposed that they possess all the faculties 
 of soul that are possessed by adults, or they cannot be 
 moral beings. If the faculties though feeble, be not en- 
 tire, we cannot conceive how they can be moral beings ; 
 of course, we cannot conceive how they can be the 
 subjects of rewards or punishments. It is universally 
 conceded by those who believe in the Bible, that there 
 will be none of our race received to -heaven, but through 
 the mediation of Christ. But surely we cannot suppose 
 that they can be pardoned through his blood, when they 
 are so far from being moral agents, as not to possess an 
 entire soul. But if it be granted that they are in the 
 possession of all the faculties of the soul, it will be im- 
 possible to prove that they are not capable of moral 
 action. They must be as capable of exercises, accor- 
 ding to the strength of their faculties, as adults. These 
 exercises must have a nature, and that nature must be 
 either in conformity to the law, or opposed to it ; and 
 it is as easy for God to discover which, as in the most 
 prominent actions of adults. It is supposed by many 
 that no being can be guilty of sin, who does not possess 
 a knowledge of the nature and extent of the divine law. 
 But if this be true, the heathen cannot be guilty of sin, 
 as they know nothing about the law ; and yet the apos- 
 tle tells us that " as many as have sinned without law 
 shall perish' without law." He also observes that " the 
 
CHARACTER OF MAW. 101 
 
 Gentiles, which have not the law, * * * are a law 
 unto themselves ; which show the work of the law 
 written on their hearts."a It seems to be distinctly 
 conveyed by this passage, that in some sense the law 
 is written upon the hearts of all men by nature. Dr. 
 Scott, in explaining this passage, remarks, " The frag- 
 ments of the law which had been originally written in 
 the heart, exerting their influence, by a natural sense 
 of right and wrong, appeared in their works." The 
 most plausible objection that we recollect to have seen 
 to this view of the subject, is its supposed inconsistency 
 with the doctrine of total depravity. But does an im- 
 pression of right or wrong written upon the mind, with 
 which there is no conformity in the heart, indicate or 
 exhibit any thing that is pleasing to God, any more 
 than if it were written upon a leaf of the Bible ? And 
 though in some things which refer to external conduct 
 they should comply with its dictates, it would be no 
 more evidence of love to God than similar conduct in 
 those who have a knowledge of the law. 
 
 Again, it is objected by others that the impressions 
 of right and wrong on the minds of children seem to 
 be perfectiy according to their education. They are 
 no doubt to a great extent under the influence of educa- 
 tion, but not entirely ; if they were, it would be as ea- 
 sy to convince them that one thing is as right as another ; 
 that it is as right to steal as to bestow alms upon the 
 poor. Th's, it is believed, every person must see does 
 not correspond with fact. There is no doubt but that 
 this impression, whatever it may be, is more and more 
 obliterated by a life of sin, and of course the renewal 
 or regeneration of the sinner is represented under the 
 metaphor of writing, the law upon his heart, and insur- 
 ing to it his obedience. ^ 
 
 On the whole, it is plain that something of this kind 
 
 a Bom. ii. 12, 14, 15. 
 
102 CHAEACTER OF MAN. 
 
 exists, and that children are moral beings, capable of 
 moral actions as soon as they possess entire the facul- 
 ties 9f the soul. 
 
 We are the mdre confident in this opinion, as there 
 is no other which upon any just principles of interpreta- 
 tion can be reconciled with the Bible. " The wicked 
 are estranged from the womb ; they go astray as soon 
 as they be born, speaking lies."a " For vain man would 
 be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt."6 
 To this we may add that the conduct of children cor- 
 responds with this account. The first of their conduct, 
 from which we can perceive the character of their 
 hearts, is always such as indicates an aversion to God, 
 and every thing of a holy nature. 
 
 Hopkiws' System. Dwight's Theobgy. Park Street Lectures. Dr Woods' Letts rs 
 to tfnitariana. Triangle, 
 
 a Ps. Iriii. 3, b Job xi, 12. 
 
SECTION VIII. 
 
 ATONEMENT. 
 
 Q. I. If the demerit of sin be everlasting death, and 
 if all mankind by nature are dead in sin, why is the 
 execution of justice suspended ? 
 
 A. It is on account of what is usually denominated 
 the atonement. By the atonement the way is prepared 
 for the offers of pardon and salvation to be made, and 
 the execution of justice to be suspended, so that sinners 
 may have an opportunity to accept of them. " He that 
 believeth not is condemned already."a It is plain from 
 this passage that according to the language of justice, 
 every sinner is under condemnation ; and it must be 
 owing to mercy or grace that he is spared. In the 
 parable of the fig .tree our Savior represents justice as 
 demanding the immediate execution of the law, and 
 mercy as pleading for it to be suspended. The reason 
 why mercy pleads that the execution might be stayed, 
 is that the sinner might have an opportunity to repent 
 and secure the favor of God.& 
 
 Q, II. What do we understand by the atonement ? 
 
 A. by the word atonement is generally understood a 
 full reparation made for the commission of some crime, or 
 the neglect of some duty. In some cases this reparation 
 may be made by the guilty themselves, but in others it 
 is not possible. When a man has violated the princi- 
 ples of commutative justice, and has not punctually met 
 his engagements, he may afterwards atone for his neg- 
 lect by giving'his creditor ample satisfaction. But in 
 
 a JohnMii. 18. i Luke ziii. 6—10. 
 
104 ATONEMENT. 
 
 the case of sin it is impossible for the sinner himself to 
 make reparation. When an offence is committed 
 against a government, in order that the offender may 
 receive pardon, the government has the same right to 
 require satisfaction as an individual. Sin is a crime 
 committed both against God and his government. As 
 God has a just demand upon every sinner for the affec- 
 tion of his heart, and for the improvement of his time 
 and talents, when he has once violated his lav(r, if he 
 were perfectly obedient ever after, as it would be noth- 
 ing more than his duty for that time, it would never 
 make reparation for past guilt. Now, if an atonement 
 be made for the sinner, it must be made by some other 
 being. That being must be able to make reparation to 
 the government of God, before it can be expected that 
 he will be satisfied. Nothing can satisfy his govern- 
 ment but that which will show his opposition to sin, and 
 his determination to maintain the law, as much as would 
 be shown in the execution of the penalty. If this can 
 be done, his government can sustain no injury, though 
 sinners should be pardoned. 
 
 Q. III. What evidence have we that such an' atone- 
 ment has been made ? 
 
 A. It cannot be expected that evidence of this kind 
 can be obtained, except from the Scriptures. But if 
 we resort to them, the question is answered at once. 
 " God so loved the world that he gave his only begot- 
 ten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not 
 perish, but have everlasting life."a " He was wounded 
 for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities." 
 " The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and 
 by his stripes we are healed."6 " The Lord hath laid on 
 him the iniquity of us all." 
 
 The day after our Savior had risen from the dead, 
 he overtook two of his disciples as they journeyed 
 
 a John iii. 16. it Is. liii. 5, 6, 
 
ATONEMENT. 105 
 
 towards Emmaus, and finding that they were discour- 
 aged because their Master had been put to death, and 
 his body committed to the grave, he reproved them in 
 the following severe and comprehensive terms : " O 
 fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets 
 have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these 
 things and to enter into his glory V'a " Christ died tor 
 our sins."6 These are but a small number of the pas- 
 sages that speak with a plainness and decision upon 
 this subject that no art or ingenuity can evade. To 
 any one who reads the Bible with care and attention, 
 the declaration that the doctrine of atonement is not 
 contained in it must be surprising, especially if it come 
 from one who pretends to make it the foundation of his 
 faith. 
 
 Q. IV. Why could not pardon be extended to sin- 
 ners without an atonement ? 
 
 A. For the same reason that pardon cannot be ex- 
 tended to murderers, consistently with the stability and 
 safety of government. Unless sinners are punished, 
 or the disapprobation of government toward the viola- 
 tion of law be manifested in some way or other, it is 
 impossible for the government to be supported. Frorp 
 such a government, however vile and mischievous a 
 man may be, he can have nothing to fear. The au- 
 thority of law Would exist only in name, and it would 
 have no possible influence in the suppression of vice. 
 Perhaps it may be thought that since the great Jeho- 
 vah has power sufficient to maintain his government, 
 he has no need of such motives. It is doubtless true 
 that he has poWer sufficient to bring every being in the 
 universe into perfect submission to his law ; but it must 
 be remembered that his is a moral government, and 
 
 oLukexiiT. 25,26. 6 1. Ckir. xv. 3. Heb. ix. 28. 1 Pet. ii. 24. Gal. iii. 13. I 
 Pet. iii. 18, and i. 18, 19. Rev. v. 9. Acts xx. 28. John x. 16, Bom. ir. 26. 1 
 Thess. T. 10. 1 Cor. v. 7, and vi. 20. 
 
106 ATONEMENT. 
 
 must be supported by means of motives. So far as 
 men comply with what is required, without motive or 
 design, or, in other words, so far as they are compel- 
 led by an overruling and almighty power to comply 
 without any wiUingness or unwillingness of their own, 
 there is no blame or praise to be attached to them. 
 
 In a government supported in this manner, none of 
 the perfections of God, such as justice and mercy, could 
 be seen. It is then important that men should be ca- 
 pable of being influenced by motives ; if this were not 
 the fact, we see not how purposes of mercy could be 
 accomplished by them. From these observations it 
 must be evident that if God were to pardon sin with- 
 out an atonement, it would result in the following 
 evils : 
 
 1. He would be unjust to his law ; as he would mani- 
 fest no respect to it, or determination to support it. 
 
 2. He would be unjust to his kingdom ; as nothing 
 would be done to suppress disobedience, or to promote 
 peace and good birder. 
 
 3. He would be unjust to himself; as he would fur- 
 nish his creatures with no evidence that he is a friend 
 to holiness, or an enemy to sin. 
 
 Q. V. By what was the atonement made ? 
 
 A. Concerning the proper answer to this question, 
 there are different opinions. It is thought by many that 
 the atonement was made by the obedience of Christ ; 
 by others that it was made by his sufferings ; and by 
 others still it is attributed to both. From the remarks 
 which have been made in showing the necessity of an 
 atonement, it is plain that the object for which it is 
 made is to support the honor of the divine character 
 and government, and at the same time lay a foundation 
 for the pardon of repenting sinners. This, it may be 
 readily seen, can never be accomplished but by some- 
 thing that -Would manifest the holiness of God, and his 
 
ATONEMENT'. lOT 
 
 hatred to sin, as much as if he were to inflict upon sin- 
 ners the penalty of the law. 
 
 By which of these things, to which the atonement is 
 ascribed, is this object seen to be accomplished ? By 
 the obedience or sufferings of Christ, or both ? When 
 we speak of the obedience of Christ in our discussion of 
 this subject, we must mean his conformity to the pre- 
 cepts of the moral law, otherwise there would be no 
 ground for dispute. 
 
 If his willingness to come into the world on his er- 
 rand of mercy, or his obedience unto death be what is 
 intended by the term, there is no room for debate. — • 
 No one, it is presumed, will be inclined to contend that 
 his sufferings and death could in any sense be merito- 
 rious, unless they were the effect of a voluntary choice. 
 The question now is, does the obedience of Christ, 
 when understood in this sense, manifest in the holiness 
 of God and his hatred to sin as much as if divine jus- 
 tice were executed ? It would seem that the sugges- 
 tion of this question would render any answer unneces- 
 sary. By what means can it be said, that, by a cheer- 
 ful compliance with the requirements of the laW, the 
 Lord Jesus has shown the determination of the Father 
 to support and vindicate it ? Would sinner^ infer from 
 this, merely, that a violation of the law was a crime de- 
 serving of infinite punishment ? Would they certainly 
 conclude that God was determined to execute the pen- 
 alty of his law ? If this expression of the feelings of 
 God would render it consistent for him to issue his pro- 
 clamatioi of pardon, then might not every monarch, as far 
 as he had himself obeyed his own laws, extend pardon to 
 every guilty offender ; Or could not a king who had 
 a wise and virtuous son who had neVer been seen to 
 violate a single law in the government of his father, on 
 account of the obedience of his son, without any other 
 punishment or manifestation of his hatred towards their 
 
108 ATONEMENT. 
 
 conduct, send forth an indiscriminate proclamation of 
 pardon to such as openly and daringly trampled his au- 
 thority under their feet ? 
 
 Further, the divine law requires that we should give 
 to every being his rights. Now is it not evident, that 
 however dignified the rank may be which a being holds 
 in the scale of existence, so long as he does no more 
 than this, he does no more than what justice requires 
 of him ? Upon what principle can another being be 
 pardoned on account of his conduct, when he has done 
 nothing more than he ought to do ? On the whole, we 
 cannot see how the odedience of Christ can answer the 
 purpose for which an atonement is necessary. We 
 admit that without it his sufferings and death would 
 have been of no value. No one however, will contend 
 that there is no difference between the qualification for 
 a work, and the work itself. 
 
 It must appear evident also, from the remarks we 
 have made, that the obedience of Christ, as it was 
 nothing more than what the law required of him, and 
 and as it was a prerequisite qualification, would not 
 have constituted any part of the atonement. Besides, 
 if his obedience could do any thing, why could it not 
 have accomplished the whole work ? As it was the 
 obedience of an infinite being, every effect that obedi- 
 ence could produce must certainly be infinite ; why 
 was it necessary then that Christ should die ? 
 
 We are now prepared to make the inquiry whether 
 the sufferings of Christ could make that atonement 
 which the condition of mankind requires. In order to 
 determine this question, we must inquire first, what 
 would have been the consequences, had the law taken 
 its course, and had the penalty been executed upon 
 every offender. This, while it would have undoubt- 
 edly supported the divine law, would have been view- 
 ed by the great Jehovah as in itself considered a great 
 
ATONEMENT. 109 
 
 evil. If he had not regarded the misery of his crea- 
 tures as an evil, then to have inflicted the penalty of 
 his law upon them would have been no evidence of his 
 high esteem for his law ; but if he' considered the suf- 
 ferings to which they were exposed as a great evil, to 
 have executed the penalty upon them in this case would 
 have been giving the most decided evidence of a de- 
 termination to support it. Now in order that the suf- 
 ferings of Christ should manifest on the part of God as 
 high an esteem for his law as could have been mani- 
 fested if he .had executed, its penalty upon man, it si 
 only necessary that his sufferings should appear to be, 
 in his view, as great an evil as would have been seen 
 in their misery, if Christ had not interfered. In the 
 sense here intended, an evil-may appear greater than 
 it is. It may appear a greater evil for a man to lose 
 an only son by sickness than many servants. In one 
 sense the death of a servant would be as great an evil 
 as that of a son ; but a father who should consent to 
 the execution of a son because it was demanded by a 
 righteous law, would manifest a greater respect for^ 
 that law than by consenting to the death of all his ser- 
 vants, however numerous they might be. 
 
 Upon whatever principle we endeavor to form an 
 estimate of the magnitude of the evil, to which, as it 
 appears to us, the great Jehovah submitted in consent- 
 ing to the sufferings of his Son, unless it be from the 
 quantity of his suffering, we shall not hesitate a mo- 
 ment, as he was his only begotten Son, and sustained 
 a character infinitely amiable and holy, to acknowledge 
 that it appears to be a greater sacrifice (if the term be 
 proper) on the part of God, than if mankind had suf- 
 fered the penalty themselves. To form an estimate of 
 the evil manifested from the quantity of pain, and not 
 from the character of the sufferer, would be highly im- 
 proper. It must be apparent that a- king would mani- 
 
no 
 
 ATONEMENT. 
 
 fest a greater regard for his law by consenting to let his 
 own son suffer its sentence, than if he were for the same 
 crime to inflict it upon some obscure citizen. The suffer- 
 ings of Christ, it is plain from these remarks, accomplish 
 the very purposes for which an atonement is wanted. 
 By consenting to them for the sake of the law, God 
 has shown an attachment to his law, and a determina- 
 tion to support it, which will answer all the purposes 
 in the government of his immense empire, that would 
 have been answered, if the penalty had been inflicted ' 
 upon every offender. But this is a point on which the 
 Scriptures speak with great plainness. The definite 
 object for which our Lord suffered and died, is said to 
 be, by the apostle, " to declare the righteousness of God, 
 that he might be just and the justifier of him that be- 
 lieveth.''a Without this declaration God would not 
 be just, were he to justify the sinner that believes. He 
 .would neither be just to his law, his character, nor his 
 kingdom. That this declaration could not be made, 
 but by the sufferings of Christ, is capable of as full and 
 « decided proof as aiiy point in the whole system of our 
 faith. After our Lord had passed through the whole 
 of his life in perfect obedience to the moral law, he de- 
 clared, " Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I 
 say ? Father, save me from this hour ? hut for this cause 
 came I to this hour."h The grand object for which he 
 had lived, and for which he was prepared, was the hour 
 of suffering. How many times does he tell his disci- 
 ples and his hearers that his time had not come 1 But 
 after his resurrection he tells his disciples that it was 
 the sense of the prophets that Christ "must suffer these 
 things, and enter into his glory." " Whom God hath 
 set forth to be a propitiation."c 
 
 Now let the question be asked, how is he to be a 
 propitiation?. The answer will be "by faith in his 
 
 a Romuis iii. 26. b John zii. 27. c Rom. iij. 26. 
 
ATONEMENT. Ill 
 
 blood." If we then enquire why he is to be a propiti- 
 ation through faith in his blood, the answer will be in 
 the same verse, " to declare his righteousness," &c. 
 As we have not room to insert but few among the 
 many passages of Scripture that speak with decision 
 on this subject, we here remark, that by looking hasti- 
 ly over the New Testament, we find something more 
 than seventy places where the atonement is ascribed 
 to the sufferings, death, and blood of Christ. But such 
 passages as the following, cannot be either misunder- 
 stood or explained away : " Having made peace 
 through the blood of his Cross."a It was the manner 
 of Paul to " open and allege that Christ must needs 
 have suffered," &c. 6 " Without shedding of blood 
 there is no remission."c Those passages which speak 
 of the one offering of Christ, in opposition to the yearly 
 offerings of the Jewish high priests, cannot, as we con- 
 ceive, be so explained as not to be at war with the 
 sentiment that any part of the atonement was made by 
 his obedience. They not only show the atonement to 
 to consist in his one offering, but they show also that 
 this one offering was the offering of himself. " But we 
 are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus 
 Christ once for all." After he had offered one sacrifice 
 for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God.cf 
 " Who needeth not daily, as those high priests to offer 
 up sacrifice first for his own sins, and then for the peo- 
 ple's ; for this he did 'once, when he offered up himself."e 
 
 Q,. VI. But how could the sufferings of Christ show 
 on the part of God as great an attachment to his law, 
 as would have been shown by the punishment of every 
 sinner, since nothing but his human nature could suffer ? 
 
 A. The connection between the human and divine 
 natures in the person of Christ was such as to form one 
 
 ffiCoI. i.K). iAets. xvii. 3. cHeb. ix, 22. dHeb. x. 10, 12, 14. e.Tii.27,ix,26,28 
 1 Pet. iii la 
 
112 ATONEMENT. 
 
 perfect character'; and the sufferings of that character 
 were as bright a display of the holiness of God as 
 though his divinity itself had suffered. Besides, we 
 have already shown that the merit of sufferings, when 
 they are endured for the sake of a -law, are meritori- 
 ous in exact proportion to the character of the sufferer. 
 Further, though his divine nature could not suffer, yet 
 we may view it as the altar on which human nature 
 Vas offered. It is the altar that sanctifies the gift.a 
 
 Q. VII. How extensive is the atonement 1 
 
 A. To determine its extent, we must look at the ob- 
 stacles that stood in the way of our salvation, had no 
 atonement been made. We have seen that according 
 to the apostle, God could not have been just to himself, 
 nor to his kingdom if he had extended pardon to sinners 
 without some declaration of his righteousness. Now 
 this declaration must be made before it could be just 
 or consistent for him to pardon one sinner ; and when 
 it had been made, a door was open, or a foundation was 
 laid, which had no reference to number. Upon' the 
 same principles which rendered it just for God to par- 
 don one sinner might any number be pardoned. The 
 atonement therefore knows nothing about limits. It 
 is a provision as extensive as the wants of our world. 
 Perfectly according to this, is the decision of Scripture : 
 " Christ died for alV'b " He is the propitiation for the 
 sins of the whole world."c " He gave himself a ran- 
 som for us."d The offers of salvation, which are 
 throughout the whole Bible free and indiscriminate, are 
 another proof that the atonement is unlimited. 
 
 Q. VIII. If the atonement be sufficient for the whole 
 world, why is it not certaiin that the whole world will 
 be sared ? 
 
 A. The atonement, it will be seen from all that has 
 been said, does not secure the salvation of any. It only 
 
 a Mat. xiiii. 19. b 3 Cor. r. 14. c 1 John ii. 2. d 1 Tim, ii. 6. 
 
ATONEMENT. 113 
 
 declares the righteousness of God, so that he may be 
 just when he justifies ' the sinner that believes. As it 
 respects our salvation, it is entirely a preparatory mea- 
 sure. It is happily represented in the Scriptures by 
 the opening of a door. It does open a door, through 
 which sinners, consistently with the character of God, 
 may enter into the kingdom of heaven. But is it cer- ' 
 tain, because a door is open, that men will enter it 1 
 The way of life is also very clearly represented by a 
 feast. But will a feast, however adapted to our wants, 
 and however abundant it may be, afford us any plea- 
 sure or support, unless we actually partake of it 1 Are 
 we not told in that parable in which the atonement is 
 compared to a supper, that some to whom the invitation 
 was given, shall not taste of it ? Besides, there are 
 conditions, without a compliance with which, on their 
 part, notwithstanding the atonement, God cannot be 
 just in extending pardon to guilty men. So true is this, 
 that there is not a passage in the Bible in which the 
 offer of salvation is made, but what exhibits, either 
 directly or indirectly, these conditions.^ 
 
 Q,. IX. What are the conditions of life, and why are 
 they essential, notwithstanding the atonement ? 
 
 A. The conditions of life are such as faith, repent- 
 ance, love to God, &c. and each and all. of them imply 
 a disposition of friendship to God and his government. 
 Repentance, as it consists in loathing the nature of sin, 
 it will be easily seen justifies the demands of the law, 
 and in this way supports the honor of his government. 
 Faith implies the same, and in addition a cheerful trust 
 and confidence in the merits, or atonement of Christ. 
 Now for God to pardon or justify the sinner on account 
 of what Christ has done, without the sinner's compliance 
 with these terms, would be far more injurious to the 
 houQr of his character and government, than if he were 
 
 a Mat, zri, 16. John iii. 18, Bom. iii. 26. Heb. r. 9. 
 
114 ATONEMENT. 
 
 to pardon without an atonement. He would show a 
 willingness to submit to what must be in itself a great 
 evil, that he might justify his enemies while they retain 
 'their enmity. What more direct course could he take 
 to show that he m'eant to abandon his government to 
 lawless injustice ? He would be unjust, as we have 
 seen, to his law, to himself, and to his kingdom, and still 
 more so to his beloved Son. From these remarks, we 
 may see why the Scriptures uniformly insist upon faith 
 and repentance as necessary to salvation. 
 
 Q. X. What are we to understand by justification ? 
 
 A. It is simply treating the sinner as though he were 
 just, on account of the atonement. 
 
 Q.. XI. What influence has faith in justification ? 
 
 A. We have already seen that without it, for God 
 to extend pardon would be unjust ; he has therefore 
 established it as a condition of justification. As 'faith is 
 the voluntary exercise of the sinner, it becomes the 
 means or instrument by which, or through which, he 
 is justified. 
 
 Q,. XII. In what sense are we justified by works, 
 and how are the declarations of St. Paul and St. James 
 on this subject to be reconciled ? 
 
 A. It is by good works that we manifest that we are 
 justified, or in other words they are the evidence of 
 justification. It is in this sense that the Apostle James 
 is to be understood, when he tells us that Abraham and 
 the harlot Rahab were justified by works. By their 
 works they manifested that they had that living faith 
 by which, according to Paul, men are to be justified. 
 Paul was opposing a class of men who denied the doc- 
 trine of justification by faith, and James wrote against 
 such as believed it, and perverted it. He therefore con- 
 tended that no man might believe himself to be justified, 
 unless he had good works as an evidence that he had 
 living faith, and this living faith according to Paul is 
 
ATONEMENT. 115 
 
 that by which, and by which alone, the soul can be 
 justified. 
 
 Q. XIII. In what sense is the righteousness of Chi'ist 
 imputed to believers ? 
 
 A. The Scriptures no where intimate a real imputa- 
 tion, or transfer of the righteousness of Christ to those 
 that believe, but only, that through faith, it is consistent 
 for God to treat them as though they were righteous. 
 So righteousness was counted to Abraham, or he was 
 treated as righteous. From various expressions in the 
 Bible, which are entirely figurative, such as purchase, 
 ransom, &c. some have inferred that there is in the 
 pardon of believing sinners a real transfer of character. 
 But a moment's attention, however, will convince us 
 that moral character is inseparably connected with its 
 agent, and cannot be transferred. We may receive 
 pardon and justification through the righteousness of 
 Christ, but it is' his righteousness after all. Besides, if 
 our guilt were literally imputed to him, then he became 
 really guilty, and received, when he suffered for us, a 
 literal punishment. To this we presupie no real Chris- 
 tian would be willing to subscribe ; we must therefore 
 suppose that all those passages that seem to imply a 
 real imputation are figurative, and designed to teach 
 merely this important truth, that in consequence of the 
 sufferings of Christ, God can now, consistently with his 
 character, treat the sinner that believes as though he 
 were righteous. 
 
 Hopkins' System. Burge on the Atonement. Dr. ■Woods' Lelten to UnilariaoB' 
 Dwight'B Theology. Dr. Edwards' Three Sermons. 
 
SECTION IX. 
 
 REGENERATION. 
 
 Q. I. By what means are sinners made partakers of 
 the atonement, if they are depraved, and none are par- 
 takers but such as repent and believe ? 
 
 A. By what is usually called regeneration. 
 
 Q. II. What is regeneration ? 
 
 A. It is a change of heart. By the word heart, we 
 generally understand the desires, or the disposition of 
 the mind. Previous to regeneration, the desires of the 
 mind are wholly selfish. The sinner has no love for 
 any object that is holy or truly excellent. He derives 
 no real pleasure from contemplations on the character 
 of God or his divine administration, at least, when his 
 views of those subjects are at all correct. But after 
 his heart is regenerated, God is the supreme object of 
 his affections. The language of his heart is, "Whom 
 have I in heaven but thee ? and there is none on earth 
 that I desire besides thee." As this Iqve is toward 
 new objects, and objects of a holy character, it is in a 
 moral sense the beginning of a new life, and is called 
 in the language of metaphor, a language in which 
 Scripture abounds, the new birth, or regeneration. 
 
 Q. III. By what agent is regeneration effected ? 
 
 A. It is attributed to the Holy Spirit. "Not by 
 works of righteousness which we have done ; but ac- 
 cording to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of 
 regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost."a 
 " Which were bctrn not of blood, nor of the will of the 
 
 a Titus iii. 5. 
 
REGENERATION. 117 
 
 flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."a " Except 
 a man be born of water ancj of the Spirit, he cannot 
 enter into the kingdom of God."6 It will be seen by 
 these passages that regeneration is the work of the 
 Holy Spirit, to the exclusion of every other agent. 
 
 Q. IV. By what instrument is regeneration efiected ? 
 
 A. Divine truth. " Of his own will begat he us by 
 the word of truth."c " For in Christ Jesus I have be- 
 gotten you through the gospel."«f " Being born again, 
 not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the 
 word of God." " And this is the word which by the 
 gospel is preached unto you."e 
 
 Q. v. Is the subject of this work active or passive ? 
 
 A. There is scarcely a question in the whole system 
 of truth, on which the opinions of great and good men 
 have been more at variance, than on this. But the 
 opinion that the subjects of this work are passive, it is 
 believed has been imbibed from a habit, to which we 
 are from our situation constantly exposed, a habit of 
 carrying the impressions that we receive from the op- 
 erations of matter to those of the mind. Many have 
 undoubtedly received the same impressions from the 
 metaphorical language of scripture. Such expressions 
 as the following, begotten, born again, created anew, &c. 
 have often been viewed as teaching the passivity of the 
 sinner in regeneration, with great clearness. But it is 
 certainly unsafe to depend, in forming our opinions on 
 the operations of the mind, on language that must be 
 considered metaphorical. These passages prove deci- 
 dedly that the producing or efficient agency in this op- 
 eration, is wholly of the Spirit. But if they are de- 
 signed to show that the agency or co-operation of the 
 sinner is entirely excluded, how shall we reconcile them 
 with that numerous class of passages which, apparent- 
 
 o John 1. 13. 4 John iii. 6. c lames i. 18. d I Cor. ir. IS.J « 1 Pot. 1. 23, 25. 
 6* 
 
118 REGENERATION. 
 
 ly at least, represent the sinner as being the principal 
 agent in the work ? The passages to which we allude 
 are such as the following': " The men of Nineveh re- 
 pented at the preaching of Jonah."a! And yet we are 
 told by the apostle, that " Repentance is the gift of 
 God."b " Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die 1" 
 " Come ye to the waters." " Labor not for the meat 
 that perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto 
 everlasting life." It is doubtless true that these com- 
 mands are consistent with the sentiment that we have 
 already established, that the Holy Spirit is the produ- 
 cing or efficient agent in this work ; but unless we ad- 
 mit that'such as are regenerated, do turn, do come, do 
 labor, &c. we cannot conceive how these passages can 
 be explained upon any just principles of interpretation. 
 Upon any other conclusion, we must admit that God 
 has commanded what is never done, and what never 
 can be done. If mankind are in any sense able to do 
 what God has commanded, then when they are made 
 to obey, according to his promise,c they must be active 
 and free. Besides, they are commanded to " make to 
 themselves new hearts."ii We know not how to re- 
 concile the opinion with the character of God, that he 
 should command men to do that which they are so far 
 from being able to do, that they are not free or active 
 in it when it is done. If in regeneration something is 
 done which in every sense is beyond the power of man, 
 on what principle can they be condemned for not be- 
 ing born again ? 
 
 ' Further, is it not cheerfully admitted by all who be- 
 lieve in the truth of Christianity,'that the experienced 
 Christian may be the subject of the influence's of the 
 Holy Spirit, while his own agency or activity is in no 
 way interrupted nor impaired ? By what principle of 
 reasoning can it be made to appear that the first exer- 
 
 a Matt. lii. 41. A Acts v. 31. t Ezok. xxxri. 2T. d Eiek. xviii. 31. 
 
KEGINERATION. 
 
 119 
 
 cise of a holy nature may not be as easily produced in 
 this way, as any that follow. The experience of eve- 
 ry man that is born again, perfectly corroborates this 
 statement. Are not all Christians constrained to ac- 
 knowledge that they were " willing in the day of his 
 power?" 
 
 Q,. VI. Are the operations of the spirit of God in re- 
 generation irresistilple ? 
 
 A. That the Holy Spirit is able to exert an influence 
 on the mind which cannot be resisted, there can be no 
 doubt. It is however obvious that merely because the 
 Spirit is not resisted in those cases that result in regener- 
 ation, is no argument that it cannot be in others, or 
 that it could not have been in them. Stephen declared 
 to his persecutors that they did always resist the Holy 
 Ghost. If the Spirit may be resisted in some cases, 
 what argument can be drawn from the omnipotence of 
 God to prove that it may not be in others ? Besides, 
 does not the representation that the influences of the 
 Spirit are irresistible naturally leave on the mind a col- 
 lateral impression, that in every instance of regenera- 
 tion there is an exertion of power beyond what the 
 sinner is able in any sense to exert ; and of course, if 
 men remain- unregenerate, they are to be condemned 
 for refusing to put forth a power which they do not 
 possess ? 
 
 Q,. VII. Is the change which is effected in regener- 
 ation entire, or is it partial ? 
 
 A. So far as the question refers to the subject, it is par- 
 tial. The subject has affections or desires which are 
 new ; but he has also remainining such as he before pos- 
 sessed, and such as are opposed to his new or regen- 
 erated nature. The regenerated map is unlike every 
 other being. He is really sinful and really holy. And 
 it cannot be denied but that there is something in the 
 the experience of every Christi^p which fully supports 
 
120 KEQENERATION. 
 
 this statement, contradictory as at first sight it may ap- 
 pear. A view of the characters, and of the numbers, 
 ■who can appeal to their own experience in support of 
 it, must convince us that nothing can be more uncan- 
 did and irrational than to suppose that they are deceiv- 
 ed. There are multitudes among the most sober and 
 enlightened, in the whole population of our world, who 
 know that in the operation of their affections they can 
 discover the operations of two opposite natures. They 
 can " see another law in their members warring against 
 the law of their minds," so that they can say, " when I 
 would do good, evil is present with me." 
 
 Whatever may be our hopes or pretensions, if we 
 know nothing of that warfare, which the apostle, in 
 giving his own feelings, has described in the seventh 
 chapter of his epistle to the Romans, we are strangers 
 to this important change. The best men that have ever 
 lived on earth, even the disciples of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, have given us the most undeniable evidence 
 that they were imperfect. That they had some upright 
 or holy desires will not be doubted ; and if they had 
 not some that were unholy, for some of thSir conduct 
 we shall find it impossible to account. To overcome 
 this i-emaining cori'uption is the work of sanctification, 
 in which every Christian is engaged through life. The 
 prophet Job observes, " If I justify myself, mine own 
 mouth will condemn me ; if I say I am perfect, it shall 
 prove me perverse."^ From this it is plain, that al- 
 though Job had been called by the great Jehovah a 
 perfect and upright man, he did not consider himself 
 as sinless. Christians in the Scriptures are sometimes 
 called perfect, when nothing more is to be understood 
 by it, than that their characters, so far as they are seen 
 by men, are regular and upright. " In many things 
 we offend all. If any man oflfend not in word, the same 
 
 a Job ix. 20. 
 
RESBNEEATION. 121 
 
 is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole 
 body."ffl 
 
 Q. VIII. Is the change effected in regeneration pro- 
 gressive, or instantaneous ? 
 
 A. It is presumed that much of the controversy 
 which this question has excited must be attributed to a 
 different understanding of terms. If the word regen- 
 eration were understood to mean, as has been stated 
 above, that change which is effected at the commence- 
 ment of holiness in the heart, it must certainly be 
 considered as instantaneous. To suppose that this 
 change, which implies a change of character, can be 
 progressive, is to suppose that there may be a time 
 when the subject is neither a saint nor a sinner. If 
 this were possible, the subject would be at that time a 
 candidate neither, for heaven nor hell. 
 
 Q. IX. Why is regeneration necessary ? 
 
 A. The necessity of regeneration is founded in the 
 depravity of our natures. We have already shown 
 that the character of man by nature is in a moral sense 
 entirely depraved. By total depravity it has also been 
 shown that we mean not a want of poweri, but a want 
 or destitution of holiness. We will here repeat but 
 one out of the numerous arguments which have been 
 already advanced to prove that by nature this is the 
 character of our whole race. No better rule can be 
 given to determine the characters of men, than to look 
 at their conduct .at such times when they exhibit the 
 feelings of their hearts with the least reserve. If there 
 be a period when none of the various restraints which 
 operate on the minds of men have any influence, it is 
 when they turn to their pleasures. At such times, 
 when it is their object to unbend their minds, and un- 
 burden themselves of the cares of life, they are not only 
 less upon their guard, but they are more certain than 
 
 a James iii, 2. 
 
122 REGENERATION. 
 
 at any other time to have their minds on those objects 
 with which they are best pleased. Such a time then, 
 it is plain, would be the most favorable to determine 
 the character of their hearts. And would it not be 
 what was never witnessed in our world, to see a man 
 who had never been the subject of this change turning 
 to spiritual and holy contemplations, to humble and 
 earnest prayer, as to that which was most pleasing to 
 his heart ? Reflectjpns upon such subjects are of all 
 others the most unwelcome to the sinner's mind, espe- 
 cially when they present such truths before him as con- 
 demn his favorite pursuits. From these remarks it is 
 obvious that the heart of every man by nature is averse 
 to every thing that is upright or holy. But we have 
 seen, while discussing the subject of atonement, that 
 sinners cannot be partakers of the merits of Christ un- 
 til they comply with conditions that indisputably imply 
 a love to God and his character. Regeneration is the 
 only operation by which it is possible for them to be 
 brought to such a state of mind. So far as the inter- 
 ests of men were concerned, the sufferings and death 
 of Christ would have been in vain, were it not for the 
 process of regeneration. However rich and ample the 
 atonement may be, so long as it is the language of the 
 sinner's heart, "I pray thee have me excused," it 
 will only increase, and render more just and aggrava- 
 ted his condemnation. 
 
 Besides, heaven is uniformly represented as a place 
 of perfect and unmingled holinesss. The only employ- 
 ment of all its inhabitants is the service of a holy God. 
 " They rest not day nor night, saying, Holy, holy, holy 
 Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." 
 Where then could the sinner, with such a heart as we 
 have shown that he possesses, find the least enjoyment 
 in heaven ? He has no love for God ; he takes no 
 pleasure in his service in the present world ; he derives 
 
REGENERATION. 123 
 
 no enjoyment from the Sabbath, nor from the sanc- 
 tuary. From what then would he derive his happiness 
 were he admitted to that world which is " but one 
 vast s'anctuary, and its everlasting ages but one Sab- 
 bath ?» 
 
 There are the same reasons then to render regenera- 
 tion necessary as an atonement. It is indispensable, 
 in order that sinners may be received to the favor of 
 God consistently with his character, and the best in- 
 terests of his kingdom. It is essential also to the hap- 
 piness of men, both in the present and in the future 
 world. (See question on the necessity of the terms of 
 salvation, p. 113.) 
 
 In proof of these points, which have been briefly sta- 
 ted, the scriptures are full and explicit. " Verily, ver- 
 ily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he 
 cannot see the kingdom of God." " Verily, verily, I 
 say unto thee, except a man be born of water antl of 
 the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." 
 " That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which 
 is born of the Spirit is Spirit."« 
 
 Q. X. By what is regeneration generally preceded ? 
 
 A. Regeneration, in the case of adults, is always pre- 
 ceded by what is termed conviction. Some conver- 
 sions are more sudden, and preceded by a shorter pe- 
 riod of convictions than others ; and some are preceded 
 by convictions far less powerful than others ; still, it is 
 doubted whether there are any cases where this change 
 is ever affected without them. The conversion of the 
 apostle Paul was as sudden and as powerful as any of 
 which we have any account. It is as difficult to see 
 how his could be preceded by conviction, or a work of 
 the law, as any that can be named ; and yet, in the ac- 
 count which he has given of his own experience, he 
 has described a powerful work of conviction in the 
 
 a John iii. 3, S, 6. Rom. tIH. 6, 7. GaJL Ti. 16. 
 
124 REGENERATION. 
 
 clearest and most unequivocal terms : " For I was alive 
 without the law once ; but when the commandment 
 came, sin revived, and I died."a The law of God is 
 undoubtedly the only instrument in the work of convic- 
 tion. Persons may be convicted who know but little 
 about the law, and at a time when they are not sensi- 
 ble that any part of it is before their minds ; yet, it will 
 be seen that no one can have a feeling of genuine con- 
 viction, but in view of some principle which is drawn 
 either directly or indirectly from it. A correct view 
 of the law will lead any sinner to see that he is guilty ; 
 but this, in many cases, does not amount to that con- 
 viction which is certainly followed by conversion. — 
 Sinners often remain for years, while this rational con- 
 viction is cherished in the mind, as careless and as un- 
 feeling, apparently^ about their future condition, as the 
 beasts that perish. But when they are led by the 
 Spirit of God, whose ofBce it is to convince of sin, to 
 see the purity and equity of the law, and its extensive 
 and unyielding claims, they not only see, but they/eeZ 
 that they are guilty in the sight of God. What was 
 before but a loose, unfeeling speculation, is now a solemn 
 and interesting reality. 
 
 That sinners must have these clear views, and that 
 these views must be followed by a deep and undissem- 
 bled feehng of contrition, before their sins can be con- 
 sistently pardoned, will appear evident from the follow- 
 ing considerations : 
 
 1. They will never turn from sin unto holiness until 
 they feel something of the odiousness of sin, and dis- 
 cover in some degree the beauty of holiness. 
 
 2. Grace in the pardon of sin can never be seen, and 
 duly appreciated, till sin has been seen and felt to be 
 " exceeding sinful." To pardon the sinner before he 
 has these views of himself is to pardon him before he 
 
 a Rom. vii, 9, 
 
REGENERATION. 125 
 
 sees the need of it, and of course before he is prepared 
 to prize the grace of God. 
 
 3. The honor of the divine character requires that 
 sin should be felt by the sinnner to be " an evil and a 
 bitter thing," before he can be consistently forgiven. 
 
 With regard to the nature of conviction we would 
 further remark that its prominent traits are usually dif- 
 ferent at its different stages. At the commencement 
 it is generally marked with strong and terrifying appre- 
 hensions of the danger of sin ; but as the work becomes 
 genuine, the mind is chiefly employed in viewing its 
 unreasonableness or guilt. After having clear views 
 of the danger of sin, sinners often return to their former 
 careless and sinful course of life ; but this rarely if 
 ever happens when they have seen and felt its guilt. 
 
 Nothing is more common than for sinners to feel that 
 conviction is so entirely the effect of the Holy Spirit, 
 that there is no possible encouragement for the use of 
 means ; that they are no more likely, in a course of the 
 most honest and persevering exertion, to be the sub- 
 jects of it, than if they indulge in a course of the most 
 thoughtless and unfeeling neglect. These impressions 
 are imbibed without reflecting one moment on the na. 
 ture of the mind, or tlfe commands of God. Is it not a 
 fact, to which every man can attest from experience, 
 that on every other subject, just in proportion as he 
 voluntarily and honestly fixes his mind upon it, he will 
 be enabled to feel in view of its importance 1 Although 
 it is not believed that genuine conviction is ever pro- 
 duced without the Spirit of God, yet it is so often the 
 result of a close, voluntary application of the mind to 
 an examination of the law, as must convince us that it is 
 not for want of ability or capacity, and thus leave such 
 as are careless and unconvicted entirely without excuse. 
 
 Q. XI. Is the subject of regeneration sensible of the 
 time when it is effected ? 
 
126 REGENERATION. 
 
 A. There are doubtless some cases in which the 
 impressions are so powerful as to authorize a probable 
 conjecture in regard to the particular time ; but that 
 in most cases it cannot be known is evident from the 
 following considerations. 
 
 1- The Scriptures have given us other criteria by 
 which we are to determine whether we have been the 
 subjects of this change. We are to be known by the 
 fruits we yield ; and to determine whether we' bear the 
 fruits of righteousness, we are directed to examine and 
 to prove ourselves. All such directions would be use- 
 less, if we could invariably fix upon the time when our 
 hearts were regenerated. 
 
 2. Many who have professsed to have a certain 
 knowledge of the time of their conversion have aposta- 
 tized, and have given the most undeniable evidence 
 that they were deceived. Not only so, but in many 
 cases they have acknowledged that they have been 
 deceived. Such instances ought to convince us at least 
 that there is danger of being deceived, and that we 
 ought not to expect that we shall be able to fix on the 
 moment when we become the subjects of regeneration. 
 There are no doubt multitudes, who because they can- 
 not refer to some remarkable dream, or supernatural 
 appearance, as evidence of the precise time when their 
 hearts were changed, dare not hope ; while their lives 
 furnish the most satisfactory scriptural evidence that 
 they are the children of God. 
 
 Q. XII. What are some of the best evidences of re- 
 generation ? 
 
 A. By this question the subject under consideration 
 is brought where it becomes more deeply and person- 
 ally interesting to every reader, than in all our previous 
 remarks. That there is such a work as regeneration ; 
 that the Holy Spirit is the agent by which it is efiected ; 
 that it is essential to our happiness in the present world. 
 
REGENERATION. 127 
 
 if numerous and plain declarations of Scripture will 
 prove any thing, must be believed. But as we are 
 directed to examine in order to determine whether we 
 have been the subjects of this change, and as this very 
 direction implies that there is danger of being deceived, 
 and as deception in this case would be attended with 
 the worst of all consequences, with what honesty and 
 prayerful solicitude should we proceed to answer this 
 inquiry ! With a view to give this subject a discussion 
 as careful and deliberate as possible, we will mention 
 in the first place some things on which many place great 
 dependence, which do [not in fact afford any thing 
 like decisive evidence. 
 
 1. No circumstances whatever attending the time of 
 our supposed conversion can be relied on as decisive 
 evidence. There is a variety of circumstances on 
 which many place great dependence. With some, their 
 terrors were so great, and produced such effects on 
 their bodies ; with others, their views of their danger 
 were so clear, and these were followed by views of the 
 Savior so animating, that their joy was unspeakable. 
 Others have had such supernatural appearances, or 
 prophetic dreams. Others, while borne down under a 
 sense of their guilt, had some passage of scripture, 
 peculiarly adapted to their case, suggested to their 
 minds. Others had views of the Bible, of Christians, 
 of duty, &c. which were so entirely new. Now, most 
 or all of these things have been experienced in cases 
 of genuine conversion, and most or all of them have 
 been witnessed in cases where every hope that was 
 built upon them was nothing but delusion. What 
 is there in powerful conviction, or clear views of' 
 sin and danger, that is evidence of a change of heart ? 
 It is what often and in most cases precedes regenera- 
 tion, but is not regeneration itself. What do we dis- 
 discover in supernatural appearances, or dreams, that 
 
128 REGENERATION. 
 
 indicate a change of heart ? They show that the mind 
 is in a state of great agitation ; but they do not afford 
 the least indication of love to God, or to holiness. They 
 often exist to a high .degree where the plague of the 
 heart remains entirely undiscovered. Strong emotions 
 of supposed gratitude or love may undoubtedly exist 
 without a change of heart. Only let the sinner, who 
 is so far sensible of his guilt and danger as to be anxious, 
 by any means whatever imbibe the impression that his 
 heart is changed and his sins forgiven, and will he not, 
 for the very reason that he is anxious, be led to rejoice ? 
 Is it all difficult to conceive, that with his ignorance 
 and agitation of mind, he may not be able to distinguish 
 between this selfish gladness and real love ? His heart 
 may be warmed with the thought that the Savior 
 should regard so great a sinner as himself; but this fire 
 is one of his own kindling. So we may remark con- 
 cerning the occurrence of a promise or a passage of 
 Scripture to the mind. If the mind were not peculiarly 
 anxious, or agitated in view of .that subject, such an' 
 occurrence would be considered as nothing uncommon. 
 
 2. No uncommon zeal or exactness in performing 
 the external duties of religion will furnish any certain 
 evidence of a new heart. The apostle Paul before as 
 well as after his conversion was zealous and exact. 
 So were the Pharisees, whose lives were nothing but 
 a tissue of opposition to the character and cause of 
 Christ. Indeed, there are many motives besides a love 
 to God and the souls of men, which may lead to a 
 punctilious and persevering discharge of external du- 
 ties. Such a course may seem necessary to maintain 
 a hope, support a party, or to appear eminent in piety. 
 
 3. Great confidence is no decisive evidence of con- 
 version. Some persons, immediately after their sup- 
 posed conversion, have so much confidence in the 
 behef that they are Christians, that they effect to pity 
 
EEGENBEATION. 129 
 
 all that are ever disturbed with doubts. As we should 
 naturally expect, if we look at the state of mind that is 
 always produced by the operation of the Spirit, such 
 persons are of all others the most liable to be deceived. 
 What is it to be under conviction, but to see the charac- 
 ter of our hearts ? And the more dearly we see the 
 nature of our hearts, the more we shall be inclined 
 seriously to question whether the Spirit of God can 
 dwell i» them. These remarks perfectly correspond 
 with innumerable facts. Such as at first have these 
 clear and correct views of the deception and guilt of 
 sin, which lead them to be extremely suspicious of 
 themselves, are such as generally hold on their way, 
 and wax stronger and stronger ; while such as are 
 bold and confident at first, generally show that they 
 have never seen the plague of their ovyn hearts. 
 
 4. Neither is it certain that our hearts are changed 
 if we are doubting, and often led to examine the ques- 
 tion after we have ventured to indulge a hope. A 
 sinner, who has indulged a hope without any just 
 grounds, may be led so far to examine the subject, as 
 to discover many things in the character of the Chris- 
 tian that he does not possess. When once an impres- 
 sion of this kind is seated upon his mind, his sins may 
 trouble him for the same reason that they trouble the 
 convicted sinner — because they expose him to the dis- 
 pleasure of God. 
 
 Thus it is plain, from these observations, that we may 
 have many things that resemble the experience of the 
 real Christian, and many things which he actually ex- 
 periences, and still know nothing about regeneration. 
 We are now, secondly, to mention some of the best 
 evidences of a change of heart. And, 
 
 1. In every instance of genuine conversion there is 
 a new disposition. The desires of the soul are very 
 properly denominated a relish. This relish in the na- 
 
130 REGENEKATION. 
 
 tural man is wholly selfish, and therefore sinful. He 
 loves his wealth, his honors, or his fellow creatures, 
 for no other reasons than that either directly or indi- 
 rectly he expects some benefit will accrue to himself. 
 Now, although in regeneration this sinful relish is 
 not wholly destroyed, there is another, entirely op- 
 posite in its nature, implanted in the soul. The real 
 convert has a love or a relish for objects in which he 
 once took no pleasure or delight. He has a love for 
 the character of God. He rejoices in his government. 
 To contemplations on these subjects he frequently 
 turns, as to his choicest pleasures. We have already 
 shown, while speaking of the necessity of regeneration, 
 that these subjects are extremely unpleasant to the 
 natural heart. While the language of the sinner's 
 heart is, " Depart from us, O Lord, we desire not the 
 knowledge of thy ways," that of the regenerated man 
 is, " How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O 
 God ! How great is the sum of them !" The same dif- 
 ference is seen in the affections of the con^^erted sinner 
 towards the law of God. The law, when received as 
 the only standard of right and wrong,. and as express- 
 ing with perfect justice the claims of every being in the 
 universe, appears to the real convert inexpressibly de- 
 lightful. There is produced in regeneration a new 
 disposition toward the people of God. The Christian 
 may have had friends among the people of God before 
 his conversion, but he did not love them on account of 
 their religion, or their attachment to Christ. The sin- 
 ner that is considerate and regular may venerate the 
 man that he deems a consistent Christian ; but this is 
 merely the decision of his judgment, or conscience. 
 He derives for himself no inward pleasure or satisfac- 
 tion from those things which he is ready to eulogize in 
 the Christian. But it is this part of the Christian's char- 
 acter, more than any thing else, that endears him to the 
 
REGENERATION. 131 
 
 convert. He is humble ; he is penitent ; he loves the 
 duties of religion, and the souls of his fellow men. These 
 are the things with which his own heart is pleased, and 
 of course it affords him great pleasure to see them in 
 others. The convert has a relish for religious duties, 
 such as prayer, reading the Bible, and a devout atten- 
 dance upon the ordinances of the gospel, to which he 
 was before a stranger. He delights in these duties the 
 more, as they admit him near to God, the supreme ob- 
 ject of his affection. On this account he is led to place 
 a high estimate on the duty of secret prayer. It gives 
 him an opportunity to hold communion with the dear- 
 est friend he has in the universe. This is a duty in 
 which the man who is religious only to be seen, or to 
 keep alive a trembling hope, will not, for any conside- 
 rable length of time, with cheerfulness and pleasure, 
 persevere. Now this love for things which in their 
 nature are spiritual and holy in the real convert, it 
 ought to be observed, is not produced by a belief that 
 his sins are pardoned, and his future happiness secured. 
 In many cases it is clearly and distinctly exhibited be- 
 fore the subject has a glimmering of hope. Nothing 
 is more common than to hear persons express them- 
 selves with great admiration in view of the law oi 
 God, its penalty, the character of God, &c., while 
 they have not the least suspicion that their sins are 
 pardoned. 
 
 In proof of what has now been stated, that in regener- 
 ation is produced a love to objects of a spiritual and 
 holy nature, the Scriptures are full and explicit. " I 
 delight," says the apostle Paul, " in the law of God after 
 the inward man." David breaks out in the language 
 of rapture, " How sweet are thy words unto my taste, 
 yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. I love thy 
 commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold. Oh 
 taste and see that the Lord is good." 
 
132 REGENERATION. 
 
 2. Meekness and humility in all our conduct is an 
 evidence of regeneration. Pride is one of the most 
 prominent traits in the character of the natural heart. 
 It is a sin to which there is in every heart a strong and 
 unvarying tendency. Its existence, as it is condemned 
 by the fii'st and plainest principles of reason and reli- 
 gion, is a convincing proof of the depravity of our race. 
 The question which the apostle Paul suggested to the 
 Corinthian church, who by their pride had forsaken him, 
 and had become painfully divided among themselves, 
 it would seem, is sufficient to place the impiety and un- 
 reasonableness of this sin in such a light as to make it 
 an object of universal disgust : " Who maketh thee to 
 differ from another 1 and what hast thou that thou didst 
 not receive ?" If we are dependent for all that we now 
 are, and for all that we hope in future to be, what 
 grounds have we for pride ? Still, pride is universally 
 cherished, and a multitude of soft terms are given it, 
 that its deformity may not be seen. It is the object of 
 real humility to oppose it in all its various and. deceit- 
 ful appearances. But there is no one, among all the 
 Christian graces, that is more liable to be counterfeited 
 than humility. What the apostle calls voluntary hu- 
 mility is only pride in disguise. When a Christian is 
 really humble, he is like Moses when he came down 
 from the mount : " he wist not that his face shone." 
 He sees so much of the glory and perfection of the di- 
 vine character, and so much of the imperfection of his 
 own, that while he sinks into the dust, he views himself 
 as an unhumbled man. From this humility, as well as 
 from the love he bears toward his fellow men, his 
 conduct is marked with a tenderness and gentleness 
 which is peculiar to the Christian. Without meekness 
 we cannot with propriety be denominated Christians, 
 because we do not follow Christ. " Take my yoke 
 upon you," says the Savior, " and learn of me, for I am 
 
REOENERATION. 133 
 
 meek and lowly in heart, and ye shkll find rest unto 
 your souls."a 
 
 3. Nearly allied to this is another trait which com* 
 poses an important part of the character under con- 
 sideration. It is a readiness to forgive. In no one thing 
 is the spirit of the gospel more directly at war with 
 the spirit of the world than in this. We might natu- 
 rally conclude that a proper sense of our own imper- 
 fections, a love of benevolence towards our fellow men* 
 a view of the example of Christ, and a confident trust 
 in the wisdom and justice of God, would induce us to 
 leave with cheerfulness all the provocations and abuses 
 which we experience ,unto the decision of the judg' 
 ment day. But there is another consideration, which 
 cannot fail to exert a more powerful influence on the 
 mind of the real christian than eitljer of these. It is a 
 view of that forgiveness that he hopes God has mani- 
 fested toward him. This argument is presented in the 
 most powerful and advantageous point bf light by the 
 Savior himself.6 
 
 Another important evidence of regeneration is seen 
 when the heart and the understanding have a proper 
 influence upon each other. The understanding with 
 many irreligious men is correct, but it has little or no 
 control over the heart. There is a material defect in 
 this respect with many who profess to be the disciples 
 of Christ. Some have clear and accurate views of 
 doctrine and practice, and yet are cold and without 
 feeling. They are ready to criticise and condemn 
 every man who does not come to their standard of 
 orthodoxy. Others make the whole of religion to con- 
 sist in feeKng. Clear and consistent views of doctriftes 
 with them are of no importance. Such men consideir 
 those seasons, when they irhagine that they are the diib^ 
 jectsei some supernatural impulse, as their most fivorfed 
 
 a Mat. li. 29. b Mat. xviii. 23-85. Sk atoo Eph. it. 32. 
 7 
 
134 REGENERATION. 
 
 moments. On these feelings they place more depen- 
 dence, in determining the path of duty, than upon a 
 deliberate and careful examination of the word of God. 
 Without attempting to decide which of these classes 
 exliibit the best evidence of real piety, we may easily 
 show that there is an important defect in both. No 
 arguments are necessary to show that religion is not 
 merely speculative and intellectual. What are love, 
 repentance, and joy, but affections of the heart ; and 
 what is religion without them 1 On the other hand, for 
 what purpose is the Bible given ; why does it reveal 
 a knowledge of the character of God, and of our duty ; 
 and why are we endowed with reason and judgment, 
 if we are not to seek for correct views ; and if our 
 hearts are not to be controlled by them ? All the pow- 
 ers of the mind are bestowed upon us for some impor- 
 tant use, and may be employed in the service of God. 
 The whole of our religion is denominated by the apostle 
 a reasonable service. a Is it not impossible to see how 
 we can yield a service like this, without the co-opera- 
 tion of all the powers of the soul ? What is the obe- 
 dience of the g(^spel but a cheerful and entire compli- 
 ance with whatever is believed to be .duty, in view 
 of all that God has revealed ? If all the faculties of 
 the mind are duly employed in the service of God, 
 there will be a beautifiil symmetry in all our conduct. 
 There will be a zeal, but it will be according to knowl- 
 edge. There will be a rational and consistent belief, 
 but it will be accompanied by the warm approbation 
 of the heart, and a steady and active discharge of every 
 duty. 
 
 5. There is in every real Christian a growing and 
 unextinguishable desire to be more and more like God. 
 Something of this nature seems .plainly intimated in 
 many passages of Scripture : " But whosoever drinketh 
 
 a Rom. xii. 1. 
 
REGENERATION. 135 
 
 of the water that I shall give him shall never thirstj but 
 the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well 
 of water springing up into everlasting life/'a By the 
 expression shall never thirst we are not to understand 
 that they will cease to relish or desire the water of life ; 
 but that they will never thirst in vain, as an ample sup- 
 ply will be ever at hand. " They shall not thirst any 
 more, for the Lamb which is in the midst of them shall 
 lead them unto living fountains of waters."& It is plain 
 from the expression " it shall be in him a well of water 
 springing up," &c. that the effects which are produced 
 by the Holy Spirit, such as love, joy, and gratitude, will 
 be, on the whole, perpetual and increasing. David, of 
 whose religious experience we have the most detailed 
 and particular accounts of any of the Scripture saints, 
 speaks often of thirsting after God : " O God, thou art 
 my God ; early will I seek thee : my soul thirsteth for 
 thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land. 
 * * * Because thy loving kindness is better than 
 life, * * * my soul followeth hard after thee."c It 
 is easy to account for this inward and growing desire 
 after God. It is produced by a deep sense of our in- 
 creasing obligation, and by, a participation of his love 
 shed abroad in our hearts. It is this by which the 
 Christian is led to be grieved and dissatisfied with him- 
 self, that he is no more conformed to the pure and holy 
 commands of God. " My soul breaketh for the longing 
 it hath unto thy commandments at all times. Behold, 
 I have longed after thy precepts.''^ This longing de- 
 sire to be conformed {o the commands of God will 
 continue and increase in his children, till they ar0 per- 
 fectly transformed into his image : " I shall be satisfied 
 when I awake with thy lifceness."e Whether we have 
 this mark of piety, we must each of us determine for 
 
 oIohmlT. 14. »B9V. Tii, 16, 17. e Pa. liiii. 1, 3, 8. <J P«. cxix. 20, 40. eP». 
 
 ZTU. 16i 
 
136 REGENERATION. 
 
 ourselves. But if we are careful to examine, it cannot 
 be difficult to arrive at a just decision. It cannot be 
 difficult to determine whether sin be so grievous and 
 offensive to us, and the holy character of God so de- 
 lightful, that we are tried and burdened with ourselves, 
 and long to rise and dwell in his presence, and bear 
 his image for ever. 
 
 6. What is usually called disinterested love is an im- 
 portant evidence of a new heart. The unregenerated 
 heart is supremely selfish. Every thing in the uni- 
 verse, as far as it can be affected by his influence, is 
 subordinated by the sinner, directly or indirectly, to his 
 •interests. But when the heart is changed, it has a real 
 and unfeigned love for the best interests of others. This 
 is "that love that seeketh not her own, but her neighbor's 
 good." In the exercise of this love, more than in any 
 thing else, do the children of God resemble the Re- 
 deemer. But it may be asked, how shall we determine 
 whether we have this love ? The best evidences of its 
 existence in our hearts are such as the following : 
 
 1. A willingness to make sacrifices for the good of 
 others. This was the prominent trait in the benevo- 
 lence of our Savior. 
 
 2. Such earnest desires and prayers for the good of 
 others as are known only to God. 
 
 3. Feeling a deep and lively interest in the spread of 
 the gospel, and the conversion of souls. This is that 
 evidence which angels and the spirits of the just 
 made perfect exhibit when they rejoice at the repent- 
 ance of a sinner. 
 
 These are but few of the evidences that might be 
 exhibited, and that would be profitable for every one 
 to examine. But as solemn and important as the sub- 
 ject may be, the limits of this work will not allow us to 
 dwell any longer upon it. We may however observe, 
 that in describing what are termed the fruits ofregen- 
 
EEGENEEATION. 137 
 
 eration, it will lead us to exhibit some things which are 
 among the most clear and decided evidences. 
 
 Q. XIII. When are we the subjects of this change, 
 if ever ? 
 
 A. During the present life. It is surprising, the 
 Scriptures are so plain on the subject, that there should 
 be the least necessity of answering this question. The 
 reason undoubtedly is this : the Scriptures so often and 
 so explicitly represent this change as essential to 
 the happiness of the soul, that many find themselves 
 unable to still the voice of conscience, until they can 
 believe that it is a change effected at death, and of 
 course a subject in which they have no present concern. 
 
 That the present is the only period of trial or proba- 
 tion with which we shall ever be favored will be shown 
 in its proper place. Without adverting to that subject, 
 we may show, by a few passages of Scripture, that 
 regeneration is a -work which is effected in the present 
 world. " According to his mercy he saved us, by the 
 washing of riegeneration and the renewing of the Holy 
 Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus 
 Christ our Lord."a " Such were some of you ; but ye 
 are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, 
 in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our 
 God."J These passages, with a multitude of others, 
 show that some at least experience this change in the 
 present life. But if it be an operation which is effected 
 at death, what shall we understand hy that command 
 in which we are required to make ourselves new 
 hearts ? " Cast away from you all your transgressions 
 whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new 
 heart and a new spirit."c Does this passage mean that 
 we must put an end to our lives, and by that means 
 effect our regeneration ? 
 
 Q. XIV. What are the effects of regeneration ? . 
 
 aTit. iii. 5, 6. A I Cor. ri. II. cEzek. xviii. SI. 
 
138 EEGENERATION. 
 
 A. We have been unavoidably led, in giving the 
 evidences of regeneration, to describe many df its ef- 
 fects. To render the subject more plain and easy to 
 be understood, v?e observe that faith, repentance, love 
 to God, and love to men, joy in the Holy Ghost, and 
 submission to the will of God, &c. are the immediate 
 effects of this change. " The fruit of the Spirit is love, 
 joy, peace, faith,'' (fcc.a " By grace ye are saved, 
 through faith, and that not of yourselves ; it is the gift 
 of God."6 " If God peradventure vrill give them re- 
 pentance to the acknowledging of the truth."c " Then 
 hath God ako to the Gentiles granted repentance unto 
 life."ci; " For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, 
 and righteousness, and truth ; proving what is accept- 
 able unto the Lord."e 
 
 Q. XV. What are we to understand by gospel faith ? 
 
 A. The -word faith is sometimes used to signify that 
 system of truth that is contained in the Scriptures. It 
 is used in this sense where Christians are directed to 
 " contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the 
 saints. 'y It sometimes implies merely the rational con- 
 viction of the mind, and because it is not productive of 
 gospel obedience is called a dead faith.g- But that faith 
 which is connected with salvation implies not only the 
 assent of the understanding to the truths of the gospel, 
 but it is accompanied by the cordial approbation of the 
 heart. It is called by the apostle " faith that worketh 
 by love.'Vt Beside this, in many passages of Scripture 
 it seems to import a cordial trust, which in view of the 
 promises and the perfections of God is reposed in him. 
 Saving faith, by one celebrated divine, is thus defined : 
 " It is such a persuasion that Christ is the great Messiah, 
 the Son of God, and the Savior of man, and such a de- 
 sire and expectation of the- blessings he has procured 
 
 oGal,v.22. SEph.ii.S. c 2Ti)n. ii. 25. dAetsxi.18. eEph.T.9,10. /Juda 
 . g James ii, 17. h Gal. v. fi. 
 
KEGENERATION. 189 
 
 under that character as shall engage us cheerfully to 
 commit ourselves to him in ,his appointed method of 
 salvation, with a disposition cordially to devote our- 
 selves to his service in all the ways of holy and evan- 
 gelical obedience."* By another it is described thus : 
 " Saving faith is an understanding, cordial receiving 
 the divine testimony concerning Jesus Christ and the 
 way of salvation by him, in which the heart accords 
 and conforms to the gospel."t 
 
 That these definitions include saving faith is obvi- 
 ous, and it is equally obvious that they are unnecessa- 
 rily prolix. It is believed that this subject, having so 
 often been a subject of learned and labored altercation, 
 is thought by most readers to be deep and difficult, 
 when the Spirit of inspiration intended it should be 
 considered one of the most plain in the whole Bible. 
 If it be not presumptive to hazard a thought on a sub- 
 ject which has undergone so many and so careful in- 
 vestigations, we should say that gospel faith, is nothing 
 more than- an honest confidence that God is sincere in 
 his word. In order to explain and support this defini- 
 tion, let us adopt a supposition that' is often made in 
 the investigation of other subjects. A number of men 
 are convicted of some capital offence, and after having 
 received the sentence of death, are confined in prison. 
 Some benevolent and important individual oficrs to 
 make a sacrifice that will support the honor of the 
 government, while such as comply with certain condi- 
 tions are restored to favor. The conditions with which 
 the prisoners are to comply are the following : They 
 are to acknowledge on their knees that the law which 
 they had violated was a just and important law ; that 
 they were righteously condemned ; and plead for par- 
 don in the name of their benefactor. When the mes- 
 
 *Dr. Doddridge's aermon," Salvation by Gras»." p. 7. 
 fHopkioa' Sjialeiu. Vor. U. p. 36. 
 
140 UEGENEEATION. 
 
 sage is announced to the prisoners, is it not plain that 
 no one will sincerely comply with these conditions, 
 until he honestly and firmly believes in the sincerity of 
 the government in giving the message ? 
 
 Should any of the prisoners allege that " the govern- 
 ment knew that its law which they had violated was 
 unjust, and on that account had made this arrange- 
 ment ; or, that the law was just, but the mercy of the 
 government would allow its penalty to be executed, 
 whether they complied with the conditions of par- 
 don or not ; or, that the law was just, but the con- 
 ditions of pardon were in every sense beyond their 
 power ;" it is obvious, that although they might be smd 
 to believe in some parts of the message, they had not 
 a particle of faith in the sincerity of the government, 
 nor would their faith lead them to make the least exer- 
 tions, with sincerity, to comply with the conditions. 
 Being anxious to live, some of them might feign a com- 
 pliance, and others might be so agitated on the subject 
 as to deceive themselves, and think they were sincere, 
 while they had no real penitence at heart for their sira, 
 nor friendship for the government. 
 
 On the other hand, it cannot be conceived that one 
 individual, who has a firm, unwavering confidence in 
 the sincerity of the government, will delay a single 
 moment attempting at least a compliance. By his be- 
 lieving simply in the sincerity of the government, the 
 fjllowing things would be implicitly contained in his 
 faith : 
 
 1. That his sin was great, and that no apology could 
 be made for it ; for he could nOt believe that a sacri- 
 fice could be sincerely made for a sin which might be 
 justly excused. 
 
 2, That a benevolent regard existed in the feel- 
 ings of his benefactor and the government tow^jird 
 him, and that they were anxious his life should be 
 
REGENERATION. I4l 
 
 spared, if it could be done without injury to the gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 3. That there were encouragements for him, however 
 guilty he might be, to attempt a compliance. He 
 could not believe that he had been sincerely invited 
 to do what he was in, every sense unable to do. 
 
 4. That the government would vindicate itself with- 
 out fail, and unless he should soon comply, it would 
 execute upon him the penalty of its laws, according to 
 the demand of justice. He could not believe that they 
 would sincerely attempt, by a sacrifice, to support the 
 honor of a law, so that such as complied might be par- 
 doned, unless its penalty were just, and might be justly 
 executed upon such as did not comply. Although 
 these things were clearly implied in his faith, still he 
 might not be aware of it, and might be led to act in 
 view of a few of the leading points in the message. 
 Honestly viewing it as a real message, and the govern- 
 ment sincere in sending it, he would- hear in it the lan- 
 guage of warning and invitation. This would be 
 enough to excite him to the most earnest and vigorous 
 endeavors to comply with the terms of pardon. 
 
 , If we look at the amazing ignorance of many who 
 give us the best evidence of having an active and liv- 
 ing faith, we must believe that gospel faith or that 
 which is essential to salvation, is something that is far 
 more simple than men of deep thinking and metaphysi- 
 cal discrimination have made it. The child of but few 
 years, or the heathen who is just let into a knowledge 
 of the gospel, sees in it, if he have true faith, that he is 
 guilty and justly condemned, and that God is just and 
 holy ; and yet, hke the father of the prodigal, he sees 
 him advancing towards him with a amiling countenance, 
 proclaiming pardon and reconciliation. This definition 
 of faith it will be seen, agrees with.that of the apostle : 
 " He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and 
 
142 REGENERATION. 
 
 that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek 
 him."a When by the Holy Spirit the affections of the 
 heart are changed, the darkness of the mind removed, 
 and the things of Christ presented before it, " faith that 
 works by love"bmusi be the immediate effect. 
 
 Q. XVI. Is faith a voluntary act of the mind ? 
 
 A. It is difficult to conceive by what men have been 
 led so generally to doubt the affirmative of this ques- 
 tion, unless it be from a loose examination of the ope- 
 ration of evidence upon their ovpn minds. On most 
 subjects, this method, if pursued with care and perse- 
 verance may be the most happy and successful to ob- 
 tain a correct knowledge of the mind ; but on this no 
 one can be more liable to mislead us. The decisions 
 of the mind on every question appear to be simply ac- 
 cording to the weight of evidence. We feel a con- 
 sciousness that the mind is as necessarily carried by 
 the real weight of evidence, as a scale by the heaviest 
 weight. " How can I help believing," it is frequently 
 askedt " when evidence is presented 1" To account for 
 this appearance while it is wholly illusory, we need 
 only to reflect, that what gives an evidence weight 
 in the mind is something which the mind itself is una- 
 ble to see., The bias or prejudice of the mind is no 
 more likely to be seen by it, than a jaundiced eye to 
 discover what it is that gives to every surrounding ob- 
 ject, its peculiarity of color. If one neighbor be pre- 
 judiced against another, he. will be more ready to be^ 
 lieve unfavorable reports about him upon the same 
 quantity of evidence, than if his mind were entirely 
 unbiassed ; still, he will be wholly insensible by what 
 the decision of his mind was carried, and will feel a 
 consciousness within himself that he decides according 
 to the intrinsio weight of evidence. These remarks are 
 sufficient to accouni for the impression that faith is an 
 
 < Heb. xi. 6. i Cat. r. 6. 
 
SEGENVRATION. 143 
 
 irresistible assent of the mind to the weight of real 
 evidence, however common it may be, allowing it to 
 be false. We have i-oom to state in addition, only a 
 brief outline of the evidence by which w^ would prove 
 that the mind is voluntary in believing. 
 
 1. It is a sentiment which in practice is admitted by 
 all. If our neighbor through prejudice readily seize 
 upon an unfounded report, by which our characters are 
 slandered, and act upon it as true, do we consider 
 him innocent ; Is it not common, if not universal for 
 mankind in such cases to comjJain of unfairness and 
 prejudice 1 What meaning can be attached to such 
 words as bias, prejudice, credulity, partiality, &c. as 
 they are commonly used, unless mankind do in prac- 
 tice believe that the mind is .active and free in believ- 
 ing ? The practice of mankind; it must be admitted, 
 is a much surer test by which to determine the real 
 sentiments of their hearts than their professions. 
 
 2. We are commanded to beheve. "Repent ye, 
 and believe the gospel."a " This is his commandment, 
 that we believe on the name of his Son."6 But if 
 faith be not a voluntary act of the mind, how can it be 
 consistently an object of command ? Can we forni 
 any possible conception how any thing can be justly 
 commanded which is not dependant on the will ? 
 It would seem strange to hear a child, who might 
 be infirm or sickly commanded to be in health ; 
 but the absurdity would be no greater than to com- 
 mand men to believe, if men were no^ voluntary in be- 
 lieving. 
 
 3. We are threatened with a fearful punishment if 
 we do not believe. " He that believeth not shall be 
 damned,"c " If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall 
 die in your sins.'W Can we believe that he who is 
 " just and holy in all his ways" would annex a penalty 
 
 a Mark 1. 15. i 1 John iii. 23. t Mark ivi. 16. <j John viii. Hi. 
 
144 EEGENEEATION. 
 
 as awful as this to a command with which it is impos- 
 sible for us to comply ? 
 
 4. We are conscious that while we are collecting 
 and examining evidence on any question whatever, we 
 are voluntary. We form a resolution to turn our at- 
 tention to a subject, and examine its arguments ; or we 
 resolve for the present to postpone the ■ examination ; 
 the whole process is governed by the will. We ai-e vol- 
 untary not only in determining to look for the evidence 
 on a subject, but in giving to it its just weight. It is 
 an observation of an eminent and discriminating divine, 
 and one that is corroborated by our own experience, 
 that " it is as easy, and as common, for the mind to turn 
 its eye from the power of the evidence, as from the evi- 
 dence itself."* When the bearing of evidence is to 
 prove what we anxiously wish to disprove, while we 
 reluctantly examine it to save the appearance of fair- 
 ness, how active will the mind be in seeking evidence 
 to oppose it, or to discover some defect in it, by ex- 
 hibiting which, its whole weight may be destroyed ! 
 How different is the process of the mind in a case where 
 the point to be proved is one with which we are pleas- 
 ed, and which we are anxious of course should be 
 proved. 
 
 5. It is attributed, by him who knows and judges the 
 hearts of men, to improper and unjustifiable reasons, if 
 >we remain in unbelief. "In whom the god of this 
 world^hath blinded the minds of them that believe not."a 
 " How can ye h|^lieve which receive honor one of an- 
 other ?" 
 
 6. If faith be not a voluntary act, there is a numer- 
 ous class of passages in the Bible to which we can affix 
 no possible meaning, such as the following : " Behold 
 I work a work in your day which ye will not believe."b 
 ♦• BShold they will not believe me."c " If I tell you, you 
 
 ♦Dr. Dwijht. a S CM. It. 4. 4 Hab. i. 5. c Ex. iv. I. 
 
REGENERATION. 145 
 
 will not believe "a To complain of men because they 
 will not believe, when it does not depend on the will 
 ■whether they believe or not, is an exhibition of absurd- 
 ity which we hope no one would be willing to charge 
 upon the author of the Bible. 
 
 Q. XVII. What is evangelical repentance ? 
 
 A. There is no one of all the graces of the gospel, 
 •which it is more important that we should understand, 
 than repentance ; and yet there is no one about which 
 we are more liable to be deceived. It is universally 
 represented in Scripture, to be a godly sorrow for sin. ■ 
 It is plain that sorrow may be excited in view of sin 
 from different motives. Judas manifested sorrow on 
 account of his sin. His sensations of sorrow were such 
 as produced a powerful effect on his mind ; and yet it 
 is evident that he had no genuine repentance. His 
 sorrow arose from a strong apprehension of the conse- 
 quences of sin. It was like that of the thief, who re- 
 grets that he has stolen, merely because he is detected 
 and exposed to punishment. Such a remorse as this, 
 it is very obvious, may powerfully affect the mind from 
 principles that are purely selfish. There is nothing in 
 such a sorrow as this to prevent the repetition of the 
 crime, if allfear of detectionbe removed and the tempta- 
 tion be renewed. In such cases the object of sorrow is 
 not sin, but its consequences. Such a kind of repent- 
 ance indicates no change of disposition. The heart 
 is as well pleased with the nature of sin, if it were not 
 for its consequences, as it ever was. From the repeated 
 confessions and temporary reformations that we wit- 
 ness among men, we are led to conclude that there is 
 much of this kind of repentance in the world. Genuine 
 repentance differs from this in that it has the nature of 
 sin for its object. There may be, and doubtless often 
 is, in the minds of the really penitent, a fear or dread 
 
 s L«ka xzi , 67. 
 
146 REGENERATIOW. 
 
 in view of the consequences of sin ; but this -is not the 
 only, nor the greatest reason with them, why it should 
 be avoided. So far as their hearts are renewed, they 
 have a feeling of opposition to its nature. It is com- 
 mitted against a being who is so amiable, and perfect 
 in all his attributes ; it is the violation of a law that is 
 so perfectly just and important to the kingdom of God, 
 that aside from all the threatenings of God against it, 
 they view it to be odious. In proportion as the charac- 
 ter of the Savior appears precious and delightful, the 
 sin of neglecting him and of abusing his mercy will 
 appear hateful. 
 
 Repentance is not, as many suppose, a hatred against 
 all sin. Such a hatred as this exists in the minds of 
 angels ; and yet no one would contend that angels re- 
 pent. It is then an unaffected hatred or sorrow in view 
 of our own sins, and is generally the effect of contrast- 
 ing our characters with the holy character of God. 
 
 Q. XVIII. What is love ? 
 
 A. Love to God and our fellow creatures has been 
 sufficiently explained in what hg,s been said on regen- 
 eration, (pp. 130, 139.) 
 
 Q. XIX. What is genuine submission ? 
 
 A. It is a submission of all our interests for time and 
 eternity, in view of the character of God, without con- 
 dition or reserve, into his hands. There is a resigna- 
 tion which is substantially like this, in every instance of 
 genuine conversion. All caviling and complaining are 
 relinquished, and the claims of God are cordially ad- 
 mitted. Submission is an e?:ereise for which the Chris- 
 tian has frequent occasion after his conversion, as he 
 is often the subject of trials and afflictions. This exer 
 cise has also its counterfeits. In many cases it is evi- 
 dently, as in the case of Pharaoh, merely the effect of 
 constraint. Sometimes in view of death, and often by 
 adverse providences, the stubborn will is so far bowed 
 
REOENEHATION. 147 
 
 t 
 
 down, that the sinner submits, merely because he must. 
 Some have supposed that submission implies a state of 
 mind which is pleased with the nature of every trial 
 and affliction, however painful it may be ; and that the 
 mind'should never be affected, nor the passions excited, 
 by any event whatever. Such however was not the 
 submission of our Savior. He wept at the grave of 
 Lazarus, and at various other times. The apostle Paul, 
 in giving a description of genuine resignation, compares 
 it to the feelings which a child should exhibit when 
 corrected by a faithful parent.a 
 
 From this, it would seem, we ought to be deeply 
 sensible in our afflictions, that our heavenly Parent is 
 dealing with us. Still we ought not to indulge in im- 
 moderate grief, but receive his corrections as the evi- 
 dences of his parental care and affection. " My son, 
 despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint 
 when thou art rebuked of him."& 
 
 Q. XX* Are these effects of regeneration necessary 
 to salvation ? 
 
 A. They are so essential, that salvation is never 
 offered, unless some one of them, either directly or 
 indirectly, is made an indispensable condition. " He 
 that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, and he 
 that believeth not shall be damned."c " Except ye 
 repent, ye shall all likewise perish."<Z " Every one 
 that loveth is bom of God. He that loveth not know- 
 eth not God."e " Submit yourselves therefore to God"f 
 
 The reasons why pardon cannot be extended to sin- 
 ners, since an atonement has been made, without a 
 compliance with these terms, have been already given. 
 (See pp. 113, 122.) It is necessary only to remark 
 here, that the .view we have now taken of these effects, 
 or graces of the gospel, as they are usually called, caa- 
 
 oHeb. ili. 9. 6Helj. xii. S. c Mark xri. 16, dLukexiii. S. « 1 John iir. 7, Si. 
 /James iv. 7. Saa alw Aeu xvii. 30. 1 Cor. viii. 6. ICpr. ii. 9 
 
148 REGENERATION. 
 
 not fell to convince us that they are essential to salva- 
 tion. Each one of them evidently implies a temper of 
 mind, without which it would be impossible for sinners 
 to be happy were they m heaven. A mere declara- 
 tion of pardon cannot alter the disposition of the hebrt. 
 Were sinners admitted to heaven, and a free and indis- 
 criminate act of pardon should issue from the throne, 
 (if it were possible,) still, without confidence in God, a 
 disapprobation of their own sin, a love to the character 
 of God, or a submission to the divine will, they would 
 be more unhappy than they are in the present world. 
 Those attributes in the character of God, which now 
 excite their bitterest opposition, will there be seen with 
 a lustre inconceivably brighter, and eternally increas- 
 ing. 
 
 2. It has been shown also that if sinners were to 
 receive pardon without a compliance with these terms, 
 the character of God would suffer. It would be in 
 effect justifying his enemies, while, if it were in their 
 power, they would ruin him and his government. To 
 suppose, that in order to prepare the way for a meas- 
 ure hke this, he would consent to the sacrifice of his 
 own Son, is to suppose that he has abandoned the cause 
 of holiness forever. But if the atonement has manifest- 
 ed the hatred of God towards sin, as much as it would 
 have been manifested by the punishment of the guilty, 
 as has been already shown, then every sinner who 
 complies with these terms, or, in other words, condemns 
 himself, loves God, and justifies every measure of his 
 government, may be consistently pardoned and restor- 
 ed to his favor. Although it is common for men to 
 hope for salvation with but little or no regard to these 
 conditions, merely because Christ has made an atone- 
 ment for sin, is it not plain from these remarks that 
 every ho:pe of this kind is more baseless than a 
 dream ? 
 
EEBENERATION. 149 
 
 In perfect accordance with this, the Scriptures uni- 
 versally and clearly assert that pardon and salvation 
 can be received only by complying with these terms. 
 " God hath so loved the world, that he hath given his only 
 begotten Son that, whosoever believeth on him should 
 not perish, but have everlasting life."a "And being 
 made perfect, he became the author of eternal salva- 
 tion to them that obey him."b " For by one offering 
 he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified."c 
 (See also the passages quoted at the beginning of this 
 answer.) 
 
 Q. XXI. Which'of these graces are first after regen- 
 eration ? 
 
 A. The Holy Spirit, in our opinion, has no where 
 given a decisive answer to this question; we wish 
 therefore not to be understood as giving our opinion 
 with decision or confidence. It will appear from 
 what has been already stated concerning faith, repen- 
 tance, love, &c. that they imply each other, and all 
 evince the same temper of mind. They are exercises 
 of the renewed mind in view of different objects. In 
 view of sin, especially when contrasted with the holi- 
 ness of God, the exercise of a renewed heart will be 
 repentance : in view of Christ it will be faith ; and in 
 view of the will of God submission. We see no neces- 
 sity from the nature of things, nor from the word of 
 God, of believing that either of these graces is invari- 
 ably first. It must depend, \\, would seem, on the 
 object that is before the mind,, at the time when the 
 heart is changed. If this object be Christ; the first 
 exercise will be faith. If it be sin, it will be repent- 
 ance, &c. In confirmation of this it may be observed, 
 that as salvation is oflTered on a compliance with either 
 of these terms, it is but reasonahle to conclude that 
 either may be first. The testimony of experience, as 
 
 a John i:i, 16. b Hob. v. 9. cHeb. x. 14. 
 
150 EKATION. 
 
 far as it can be relied on^ will certainly lead us to the 
 same result. So far as it is possible for them to deter- 
 mine, or to conjecture, as to the time when their hearts 
 were changed, different Christians :give us an account 
 of very different exercises, as those which immediately 
 followed their regeneration. 
 
 Q. XXII. What are the consequences of regenera- 
 tion? 
 
 A. The consequences of regeneration are in the 
 present life adoption, sanctification, and perseverance 
 unto the end, and in the world to come life everlasting, 
 
 q. XXIII. What is adoption? 
 
 A. It is being received into the family of God, and 
 admitted to the enjoyment of all the privileges of his 
 children. The phrase adoption is taken from a custom 
 that has existed in every nation, and in every age. 
 When children are taken by parents to whom they do 
 not belong, and made heirs to their estate, and in every 
 other respect treated as children, they are called chil- 
 dren by adoption. Men by nature are alienated from 
 God. They are enemies to his character and govern- 
 ment. By regeneration they become reconciled to 
 him, and in the act of faith are admitted through rich 
 grace to all the privileges of his children. " To as 
 many as received him, to them gave he power to be- 
 come sons of God, even to them who believe on his 
 name."« The subject of adoption is one of which the 
 Scriptures make frequent meption. It is one -which 
 presents the astonishing grace of God in the salvation 
 of sinners before the mind in the most delightful point 
 of view. When we contemplate our meanness as crea- 
 tures, and our vileness as sinners, to think that we may 
 be admitted to enjoy the privileges, and sustain the 
 relation of children, to a being so infinitely amiable and 
 exalted as the eternal Jehovah, we must view it as 
 
 a John i. 12. 
 
REGENERATION. 151 
 
 grace anq condescension for which we can find no 
 adequate language. 
 
 Q, XXIV. What is sanctification ? 
 
 A', To janctify literally signifies to make holy. It 
 is sometin^es used in the Scriptures, where the mean- 
 ing is to sit apart for a holy use or purpose. Thus the 
 "unbeUe\|ing wife is sanctified by the believing hus- 
 band." &c. Here it is plain that the unbelieving wife, 
 in conseqiience of her connection with a believing hus- 
 band, by the appointment of God is considered holy in 
 a relativd sense. It was in this sense that the Sabbath 
 was sanctified, it was set apart for a holy purpose. 
 Inanimate things are said to be sanctified. The word 
 is njore generally used to denote the continuance and 
 completion of the work of grace which is begun in 
 regeneration. "The very God of peace sanctify you 
 wholIy."fl; From this passage it is plain that the apos- 
 tle considered this work, in reference to his brethren, 
 as already partially accomplished, but not wholly. 
 The same remark is true concerning the prayer of our 
 Savior fOr his disciples : " Sanctify them through thy 
 truth : thy word is truth."6 The agent in sanctifica- 
 tion is universally considered in the Scriptures, to be 
 the Holy Spirit : " Elect according to the foreknowl- 
 edge of God the Father, through sanctification of the 
 Spirit."c 
 
 Q. XXV. Can no evidences be given by which we 
 may know whether wfe have been regenerated ? 
 
 A. If by this question it be meant whpther evidence 
 can be furnished while we are formal and lifeless in 
 the service of religion, and while we are inquiring for 
 evidence only that we may continue in our course with 
 less disquietude, it can never be furnished us. Or 
 rather it may be said that this selfish speculation, pro- 
 ceeding from no better views, furnishes but too strong 
 
 a I Thess. r. 23. * John xvii. 17. c 1 P«t. 1, 2. 
 
152 REGENERATION. 
 
 evidence that we are strangers to this important change. 
 That there is such an attainment as the " faith of assu- 
 rance " is evident from the Bible ; but it is equally true, 
 as is observed by Pi-esident Edwards, " it is always 
 accompanied by a sense of dependence." . It is an im- 
 portant mark of the genuineness of our hopes that their 
 strength should ever be in proportion to our feithfulness 
 and engagedness in the service of God. To enjoy the 
 faith of assurance is a privilege for which we should 
 never hope, only by uncommon spirituality and perse- 
 verance. 
 
 Doddridse on Regeneration. Hopkins' System. Wines' Inquiry. Erskine on Faith. 
 Dwiglit's Tlieology. 
 
SECTION X 
 
 NATURAL ABILITY. 
 
 Q. I. Has the sinner naturally power to comply with 
 the terms of life? 
 
 A. Some remarks have been already made, which 
 have an indirect bearing upon this subject, in answer- 
 ing the question whether sinners are active or passive 
 in regeneration. It has been shown that we are liable, 
 from the circumstances in which we are placed, to re- 
 ceive incorrect impressions on this subject. Being 
 constantly in the habit of investigating physical opera- 
 tions, and having the agency of the Spirit in producing 
 this change represented in the Bible by metaphors 
 drawn from such operations, we are liable to receive 
 the impression that the operations of mind, when it is 
 subject to the influences of the Spirit, are as passive as 
 those of matter. As multitudes resort to the plea of 
 inability, to justify them in their neglect of the gospel, 
 the discussion of this subject must be deemed impor- 
 tant. Such are the views of many concerning it, that 
 they might be exhorted to create a world with as much 
 propriety as to make to themselves new hearts, or, 
 which is the same thing, to comply with the terms of 
 salvation. 
 
 After a brief explanation of the terms which are 
 gen«rally used in this investigation, a number of argu- 
 ments will be stated, to show that men before they are 
 converted haVe all the power that they need to com* 
 ply with the terms of life. 
 
 By the term power is not meant an ability indepen* 
 dent of God. We have no power of this kind to do 
 
154 NATURAL ABILITY. 
 
 any thing whatever. Neither is it meant by the word 
 power a moral ability. There is nothing that can with 
 propriety be called moral, in the sense in which the 
 word is used here, but that which is praise or blame 
 worthy ; but a power to do that which is praise or blame 
 worthy it is plain cannot of itself be either. Men may 
 be criminated for misusing the powers with which they 
 are endowed ; but they are not criminal for possess- 
 ing powers, nor are the powers of themselves criminal 
 for being abused. A willingness to comply with a re- 
 quirement is usually called a moral ability ; and the 
 want of it a moral inability. Whatever may be meant 
 by this willingness, it must be, in relation to the powers 
 of the mind, an effect. It is obvious that it is not es- 
 sential to the existence of the mind. But it must be 
 improper to call that in any sense power, which is 
 nothing but the action or effect of power. The terms 
 moral ability and moral inability are often used in com- 
 pliance with custom, but ability or inability cannot with 
 propriety be called moral. 
 
 The opinion of President Edwards on this subject, a 
 subject which he has investigated with so'much candor 
 and ability, will do as much towards deciding it as can 
 be done by any human authority. After a labored ex- 
 planation of the words ability and inability, he observes, 
 " The word signifies only a natural inability in the pro- 
 per use of it. It cannot be said, according to the ordi- 
 dary use of language, that a malicious man, let "him be 
 ever so malicious, cannot hold his hand from striking, 
 or that he is not able to show his neighbor kindness ; 
 or that a drunkard, let his appetite be ever so strong, 
 cannot keep the cup from his mouth. In the strictest 
 propriety of speech, a man has a thing in his power, 
 if he has it in his choice, or at his election."* After, 
 this decision, he continued to make use of the term, 
 
 ♦Edwards on tie Will, part I. Sec, 4. 
 
NATURAL ABILITY. 155 
 
 • 
 
 because custom had so long employed it, that his pur- 
 pose could be better answered by it, although it is evi- 
 dently incorrect, than by any other. It must be plain 
 from this quotation, and the remarks which have been 
 made that in correctness of language it cannot be said 
 that a power to do that which is moral can of itself be 
 moral. To say that we lost our natural power in Adam, 
 but that we have moral power conferred upon us by 
 Jesus Christ, is to use, terms without meaning. 
 
 We are commanded to believe, to love God, to re- 
 pent, &c. And what we mean by power, in the case 
 before us, is an ability in dependence on God, to com- 
 ply with these commands. It is sufficient proof in the 
 minds of some that we are destitute of this ability, be- 
 cause they find in the Bible such declarations as the 
 following : " No man can come to me, except the Fa- 
 ther which hath sent me draw him."a " Ye cannot 
 serve the Lord, for he is a holy God."6 To show that 
 these passages afford no argument directly to that 
 point, we need only remark that the Scriptures were 
 written for the benefit of men. In order that they 
 may be understood, they are written in a language 
 with which men are best acquainted, and of course in 
 a language that is most common among them. Nothing 
 is more common among mankind than the use of such 
 terms as cannot and could not, &c., when a strong dis- 
 inclination, and that only, is implied. Thus, I cannot 
 throw myself into a well, I cannot strike a friend, I 
 cannot hold my hand in the fire till it is burned, are 
 phrases similar to what we often hear ; but no one 
 would understand by such expressions a real inajjility. 
 In compliance with this custom> the term cannot, in a 
 great number of instances in the Bible, is used to mean 
 simply a. strong disinclination. It is said of Joseph's 
 brethren that " they hated him, and could not speak 
 
 a John ri. 44, bloA. xxW, 19. 
 
156 NATURAL ABILITY. 
 
 peacably to him."a The apostles, when arraigned be- 
 fore the Jewish council, declared, " We cannot but 
 speak the things we have seen and heard."6 Said the 
 Jews to the Savior, " This is a hard saying, who caii 
 hear it?"c . 
 
 The reader is now requested to look at the passages 
 cited above, which are thought to import a real inabil- 
 ity. " No man can come to me except the Father 
 which hath sent me draw him."<? From the nature of 
 the duty which men are said to be unable in this pas- 
 sage. to perform, and from the use of the word draw, is it 
 not evident that nothing more is intended to be under- 
 stood than a determined unwillingness ? The mere 
 drawing of the Father, it is plain, would not supply any 
 want of real ability. Besides, this exposition perfectly 
 harmonizes with what the Savior has said on the same 
 subject in another place : " Ye will not come to me that 
 ye may have Iife."e Again, another passage to. which 
 many appeal with a view to prove a real inability, is the 
 following : " Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the 
 leopard his spots ? then might ye who are accustomed 
 to do evil learn to do well.'y As conclusive as this 
 may seem at first sight, in proof of a real inability, 
 there is no other inability intended or implied by it but 
 what is occasioned by being accustomed to do evil. 
 
 Having made these observations on the phraseology 
 which is used upon this subject in the Bible, some ar- 
 guments will now be adduced to prove that sinners 
 have all the ability they need, to comply with the terms 
 of salvation. And, 
 
 1. That kind of inability under which sinners are 
 said to labor in the Scriptures is represented as their 
 crime. " Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot 
 Cease from sin."^ " Ye cannot serve the Lofd, for he 
 
 a Gen. xxxvti. 4. b Acts iv. 20. c John vi. 60. d JoJiB. vi. 44. e John T. 40. 
 / Jer. xiii. 23. g 2. Pet. it 14. 
 
NATURAL ABILITY. 157 
 
 is a holy God." " How can ye believe, seeing ye have 
 honor one of another ?"a If the inability of sinners be 
 real, their criminality cannot consist in it ; and on the 
 other hand, if it consist merely in a strong disinclina- 
 tion, is it not a clear proof that they possess all the abil- 
 ity which their case requires ? 
 
 2. The reiquirements of God, in their most perfect 
 and extensive form, are limited to the ability of men. 
 There are no commands in the Bible which sinners 
 are more ready to plead their inability to obey, than 
 those which are contained in the divine law. But it 
 would seem, from the phraseology employed in the 
 requirements of the law, that it was intentionally adap- 
 ted to their capacity : " Thou shalt love the Lord 
 thy God with all thy heart, soul, might, mind, and 
 strength."^ It would be a strange inference from this 
 passage that sinners are required to love God with a 
 might or strength which they do not possess. 
 
 3. God has commanded sinners to make to themselves 
 new hearts. The support of this statement does not 
 rest on a single passage of Scripture. When an im- 
 penitent sinner is required to repent, or an unbeliever 
 to believe, what is required in these cases but to have 
 a new heart ? Commands of this import in the Bible 
 are numerous.c 
 
 4. Men are threatened with future and everlasting 
 destruction if they do not believe. (See page 143.) 
 Can it be believed, while we cherish proper feelings 
 toward the Judge of all the earth, that he will command 
 us to do that which is not within our power, and threaten 
 as with everlasting punishment if we do not comply 1 
 
 Q. II. If sinners are able to obey the commands of 
 God, wherein do they need a Savior ? 
 
 A. It is not asserted that they are able to make an 
 atonement. This is not required. Since an atonement 
 
 « John V. 44. «Deut,Ti. 5. Mark xil. 3a e Mark i. 18. vi. It Ad* xrli. SO. 
 S 
 
l58 NATURAL ABILITY. 
 
 has been made, they are only required to comply with 
 the terms on which its benefits may be receiYed. 
 
 Q. III. If men have all the ability they need, to com- 
 ply with the divine commands, why are the influences 
 of the Spirit necessary in order to their salvation ? 
 
 A. The agency of the Spirit is necessary to make them 
 willing. When they are invited to the gospel feast, 
 " And they all with one consent began to make ex- 
 cuge."a It cannot be difficult to see what would be 
 the consequences, if the Holy Spirit were to leave them 
 to their own course. 
 
 On the whole, to plead any kind of inability as an 
 apology for the neglect of duty, it must be evident from 
 what has been observed, is to make a daring attack on 
 the equity and justice of the divine administration. To 
 say that he has commanded his creatures to perform 
 impossibilities, and supported those commands with 
 penalties the most awful of which the human mind can 
 form any conception, is an exhibition of impiety, com- 
 mon as it may be, especially if it be done understand- 
 ingly, and be not the effect of ignorance, with which 
 that of the slothful servant, w^ho accused his lord of 
 being an " austere man,"& was comparative innocence. 
 He accused his lord of exacting what was unreason- 
 able but not what was impossible ; nor did he accuse 
 him of supporting his unreasonable demands by the 
 most fearful threatenings. " Wo unto him that striveth 
 with his Maker."c " He that reproveth God, let him 
 answer iX"d 
 
 EdwudBM the Will. Park Street Lectures, Wines' Inquirj, Dwight'eTheolo^ 
 aLukixir, 18, i Matt, xxr. 24. clsa.xlr. 9, djobxl. 2. 
 
SECTION XI. 
 
 ELECTION. 
 
 ft 
 
 Q. I. What is meant by the doctrine of election ? 
 
 A. We understand by the doctrine of election that 
 some men were chosen in Christ, " according to the 
 foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctifica- 
 tion of the Spirit unto obedience.''^ Or it may be thus 
 expressed ; Some men were " chosen in Christ before 
 the foundation of the world, that they should be holy 
 and without blame before him in love."6 
 
 Q. II. What evidence have we of the truth of this 
 doctrine ? 
 
 A. In answer to this question, we remark, that we ap- 
 proach the subject before us with feeUngs which are in 
 many respects peculiar. Not that we view the doc- 
 trine as more important than any other, though we 
 deem every doctrine as plainly revealed and as closely 
 connected with the character of Gfod as this, important. 
 
 Not that we suppose a formal assent to our views of 
 this doctrine to be essential to salvation ; though we 
 are firmly persuaded, that when the doctrine is clearly 
 understood and examined without prejudice, it will be 
 believed by every candid and enlightened mind. The 
 peculiarity of our feelings in view of this subject arises 
 from the fact that this doctrine should be so undeniably 
 supported, with evidence sufficient to prove any pther 
 point in the whole compass of theology ; that it should 
 be indissolubly connected with many other things which 
 are cheerfully and universally believed, and that belong- 
 ing, as it does, entirely to the administration of Jeho- 
 
 a 1 Pet, i. 2. t Eph. i, i. 
 
160 ELECTION. 
 
 vah, it should excite in tiie liearts of so many such a 
 spirit of bitter and violent opposition. 
 
 As the proof of this doctrine is very similar to that 
 with which the doctrine of the decrees has been sup- 
 ported, our remarks upon it may be brief. It has been 
 observed that this doctrine is indissolubly connected 
 with other doctrines which are cheerfully and univer- 
 sally beheved. The course we shall take in the pres- 
 ent investigation will be to exhibit some of those doc- 
 trines with which it is connected, and then establish 
 the connection with the doctrine in question. There 
 is scarcely a doctrine in the whole Bible, in the belief of 
 which, mankind are more universally agreed, than the 
 iMMCT ABILITY of God. It is SO plain that no depend- 
 ence could be placed upon him if he were mutable, and 
 his immutability is so plainly asserted in the Bible, that 
 it is questioned by very few, if any. Indeed, what se- 
 curity could we have that one among all his exceeding 
 ■ ^reat and precious promises will ever be fulfilled, if it 
 be possible for him to change ? Again, if it be possi- 
 ble for him to change, he cannot be infinite. If he 
 change, it must either be necessary to render him per- 
 fect, or by that change he must become imperfect. 
 
 Again, if it be possible for him to change, then he 
 cannot have a perfect knowledge of all future events. 
 If all future events were perfectly known, there could 
 not be in the nature of things any occasion for a change, 
 or any cause to produce it. But it must be seen at once, 
 that if he have not a perfect knowledge of all future 
 events, he is like his creatures, growing in knowledge. 
 And if his knowledge is increasing, and has always from 
 the first been increasing, it is impossible to evade the 
 conclusion, that there was a time when he knew noth- 
 ing. It must be acknowledged then that " he is the 
 same, yesterday, to-day, and forever."a "He is of 
 
 « H«b. ziii. Si 
 
ELECTION. 161 
 
 one mind, and who can turn him V'a What must we 
 suppose of the following declarations, if God be not un- 
 changeable ? "I am the Lord, I change not."6 "God 
 is not man that he should lie, neither the .son of man 
 that he should repent : hath he said, and shall he not 
 do it ?"c But it is unnecessary, on a point like this, to 
 multiply arguments. 
 
 The next doctrine which we would exhibit as con- 
 nected with the doctrine of election, that is universally 
 believed by all who conscientiously believe in the Bi- 
 ble, is, that regeneration is the eifect of the Holy Spirit ; 
 or if it should be preferred, it may be stated thus, that 
 every sinner is dependant on God for conversion, sanc- 
 tification, and everlasting salvation. It is universally 
 acknowledged that such is their dependence, that not 
 one sinner would ever be regenerated and saved, were 
 it not for him. If this be not true, and if we do not 
 cheerfully acknowledge it, for what do we pray ? If 
 it be not true, what do we make of the promises con- 
 tained in the Bible, which relate to the outpourings of 
 the Spirit ? Was not something done on the day of 
 pentecostby the Spirit of God ? And is it not equally 
 certain that something essentially similar is done by the 
 Spirit in every conversion ? In short, if there ever 
 were, or ever will be a sinner saved without his assist- 
 ance, his salvation cannot be of grace. With these 
 sentiments, first, that God is immutable, and secondly, 
 that he does convert and save sinners, the doctrine of 
 election, as we view it, must stand or fall. He who 
 admits them, (and who does not ?) admits in essence this 
 doctrine. It certainly must be plain and undeniable, 
 that if God be unchangeable, and does convert and save 
 sinners, he always meant to do it. Whatever he does 
 towards the salvation of sinners, he always meant to do. 
 This view of the argument presents before us the doc- 
 
 tt Job ixiil. 13. 6Mal. ili. 6. e Num. zxiii. 19. 
 
162 ELECTieN. 
 
 trine of election in a just point of light. From this it 
 is plain that if we would ascertain what God has de- 
 termined with regard to the salvation of sinners, we 
 must look at what he does. If he employ various means 
 to bring them to repentance, such as admonitions and 
 invitations, and in every thing treats them as free moral 
 agents, it is according to his previous design. We see 
 no possible way to evade the force of this argument, 
 without setting aside the Bible and every correct view 
 of the divine character at a stroke. Lest it should be 
 asserted that the burden of proof in this argument rests 
 on human reasoning, though we have shown it to be 
 supported by the Bible, we now cite a few out of the 
 many passages of scripture in which the doctrine is 
 most , unequivocally established. " As many as were 
 ordained to eternal life believed."a "According as he 
 hath [chosen us in him before the foundation of the 
 world, that we should be holy and without blame be- 
 fore him in love."6 " Having predestinated us unto the 
 adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, accor- 
 ding to the good pleasure of his will."c "In whom also 
 we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated 
 according to the purpose of him who worketh all things 
 after the counsel of his own will."(f " Who hath saved 
 us, and called us with an holy calling, not according 
 to our works, but according to his own purpose and 
 grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the 
 world began."e 
 
 Q,. III. Is not the purpose of God in election arbitrary? 
 
 A. If we mean to imply by the term arbitrary, as it is 
 often understood, tyrannical, oppressive, or without rea- 
 son, nothing can be more erroneous or unjust than such 
 an assertion. If we mean by it that the great Jehovah 
 acts according to his own pleasure, or from motives 
 
 a Actsjtiii. 48. 6 Eph. i. 4. c Eph. i. 5. dVer. 11. e2Timi..9. See also Kom 
 Tiii. 28, 29, 30. Mat. xxiv. 24. John ivi. », 6. 2 Cor. iv. 7, and 1 Pet. ii. 9. 
 
BLBCTION. 163 
 
 entirely within himself, the sentiment may be admitted, 
 though the word is objectionable. We object to^the 
 word because it is so often used, when applied to men, 
 as implying something that is capricious or unjust, that 
 when it is used in reference to the conduct ot the great 
 Jehovah, it leaves an erroneous impression on the 
 mind, "that God, in choosing some to everlasting life, 
 acts according to his own pleasure, is plain from the 
 following passages of scripture : " Having predestina- 
 ted us, &c. according to the good pleasure of his will." a 
 " Having made known, &;c." " Who worketh all things 
 after the counsel of his own will."b But if we are un- 
 willing that he should act according to his own pleas- 
 ure, is there any other being to whose pleasure we 
 would wish to have him conform ? . Are not his per- 
 fections as they are revealed in the scriptures, sufficient 
 to give us, in relation to every thing that he does, the 
 most perfect satisfaction ? 
 
 Q. IV. Does not this doctrine make God a respecter 
 of persons ? 
 
 A. By no means. The view we have given of this 
 doctrine is the only ground, as we conceive, on which 
 his character can be vindicated against this objection. 
 Let us inquire what is to be understood by the term. 
 If we carefully examine the scriptures we shall see that 
 to have respect to persons uniformly means to bestow 
 favors upon some men, and not on others, on account of 
 something which they possess, of which others are des- 
 titute. Says the apostle James, " My brethren, have 
 not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glo- 
 ry, with respect to persons. For if there come into 
 your assembly a man with a gold ring with goodly ap- 
 parel, and there come in also a poor man with vile rai- 
 ment, and ye have respect unto him that weareth the 
 gay clothing, are ye not then partial in yourselves V'c 
 
 <0 EpU. i. fi' b rcr. 9^ 11. c Janjea ii. I — 4 
 
164 ELECTION. 
 
 When Peter was convinced by a sheet let down from ' 
 heaven, that the gospel was designed for the Gentiles, 
 as well as the Jews, he exclaimed, " Of a truth, I per- 
 ceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every 
 nation he that ffeareth him and worketh righteousness 
 is accepted of him."a What can be more obvious than 
 that the apostle meant that God, in the bestowment of 
 his favors, was not influenced by national distinctions, 
 nor by any of those acquirements in which the Jews 
 •were inclined to pride themselves ? If we suppose, that 
 in bestowing unequal favors on his creatures, from mo- 
 tives within himself, the great Jehovah is guilty of this 
 charge, it will be impossible, on any ground whatever, 
 whether we believe the Bible or not, to vindicate his 
 character. He has given the gospel to men, and not 
 to the fallen angels. He has given it to some nations, 
 and not to others. He has given to some men greater 
 powers of mind, and better opportunities to improve 
 them, than to others. He has given to some health 
 and plenty, and to others sickness and poverty. In- 
 deed, it is not possible to contemplate any family, neigh- 
 borhood, town or nation, but what we are met with 
 stubborn facts in proof of this point. Now if we con- 
 tend that he is influenced in making these distinctions 
 among men by any acquirements, or by any goodness 
 attached to their personal characters, of which he was 
 not the cause, it will be impossible to clear him from 
 this charge. Biit if, as we have already shown, from 
 the mass of men equally corrupt and ill deserving, he 
 takes whom he pleases, and makes them the heirs of 
 his grace, how can it be said that he is guilty of re- 
 specting their persons ? It is not on account of any 
 thing that he sees in them, that renders therti the ob- 
 jects of his choice. If, as those who are most ready 
 to urge this objection against the doctrine of election 
 
 a Aets X. 1— 25t 
 
IliECTION. 165 
 
 usually suppose, he be influenced by some unforeseen 
 goodness, such as morality or repentance, which was 
 not the effect of his Spirit, and on this account they be- 
 come the objects of his choice, he is certainly guilty of 
 this charge ; be has respect to their persons. 
 
 Q. V. If the doctrine of election be true, how can it 
 be shown that God is sincere in freely offering salva- 
 tion unto all ? 
 
 A. We can form no conception from the fact that 
 God chooses to give some men repentance, and not 
 others, how he should be thought to be insincere in 
 freely offering pardon and acceptance unto all, unless 
 it be because he knows they will refuse. It is said by 
 some that knowing as he does with unerring certainty 
 that some will reject the offers of salvation, the offers 
 cannot be made to them with the least degree of sin- 
 cerity. If this objection have any weight, it bears 
 equally on every scheme in which the foreknowledge 
 of God is admitted. There is no denomination of 
 Christians, who admit the truth of the Bible, or who 
 cherish any consistent views of the divine character, 
 but what acknowledge the prescience of God. The 
 Arminian believes that all will not repent and embrace " 
 the gospel, and that it is perfectly known to God what 
 individuals will continue to reject. If he do not admit 
 this, he must, as we have already shown, admit that 
 there is an increase of knowledge with the great Jeho- 
 vah, and of course that there was a time when he be- 
 gan to learn. But he would doubtless reply that the 
 knowledge of God does not affect the agency of man, 
 and as the atonement was sufficient for all, and all were 
 freely invited and had sufficient power* to accept, the 
 offer may be perfectly sincere. Precisely the same 
 answer would we give. But it is possible tha^t this 
 objection may be urged by those who deny that God 
 will ever make any discrimination. To such we would 
 8* 
 
166 ELECTION. 
 
 reply, that to view this subject in a correct point of 
 light we must dismiss from our minds all ideas of past 
 or future. With God all things which to us are past, 
 present, or to come, are all present. " One day with 
 him is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as 
 one day," The beginning and the end of the world, 
 and every intermedia|;e period, are equally before him. 
 Hence he has styled himself the " I AM." Doubtless 
 all events occur in the mind of Jehovah in a certain 
 order, which for distinction's sake may be called 
 the order of system, or the order of nature. Accord- 
 ing to this order one thing is before or after another, 
 just as it is a cause or an effect. According to this 
 order the apostacy of man must have been before the 
 provisions of the gospel were made, and these before 
 the invitations were given. In the same sense the 
 universal rejection of the gospel must heive been pre- 
 vious to the election of some to the obedience and sal- 
 vation of the gospel. AH .these things lie before the 
 mind of God as the different parts of a scale before 
 us, when either end is equally near us. This view of 
 the subject, then, in which the great Jehovah appears, 
 while he is offering pardon to such as refuse, to be act- 
 ing a mere farce, is occasioned by our ignorance of his 
 existence. It arises entirely from a habit of supposing 
 . that the relations oi before or after are the same with him 
 as with us, or that his existence lilie ours is successive. 
 
 Q. VI. But if it be admitted that all things are pres- 
 ent with the Lord, and that what according to the or- 
 der of time is called foreiinowledge has no influence 
 upon the agency of man, still how can it be just in God 
 to make some 'the objects of his favor and not others ? 
 
 A. That God bestows unequal favors upon mankind 
 is a truth of which we must become, by one single 
 look at the world, firmly convinced. To this point we 
 have already brought argiiments sufficient to set it at 
 
ELECTION. 167 
 
 rest. (See page 164.) But we would inquire, on 
 whom does this discriminaling influence of the Holy 
 Spirit operate unjustly ? On those who reject and are 
 lost ? But is God under obligation to convert them ? 
 Would he, after he has freely offered them salvation, 
 and they have rejected, be unjust to leave them to 
 their own choice ? If so, their salvation cannot be 
 of gra^e, because it is that to which they are entitled 
 on the footing of justice. This doctrine then cannot 
 be unjust to such as perish. It is presumed that no one 
 will contend that it will operate unjustly in reference 
 to the righteous. " But he that spake as, never man 
 spake has given this question a plain and unequivocal 
 decision. So long as he inflicts punishment upon no 
 one beyond his desert, every cavil that may be sug- 
 gested in view of the unequal distribution of his favors 
 will be for ever answered by that single question, " Is 
 it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own ? 
 Is thine eye evil because I am gooij ?" (Mat. xx. 15.) 
 
 Q. VII. Does not the doctrine of election destroy the 
 agency of man ? 
 
 A. As this objection has been distinctly considered 
 while discussing the doctrine of decrees, to that an- 
 swer the reader must be referred, where he will find 
 also an answer to other objections, such as that this 
 doctrine is a discouraging doctrine, and renders means 
 and exertions useless. 
 
 On the whole, every real Christian, whatever may 
 be his views in this woUd, when he arrives at the king- 
 dom of heaven, will come cheerfully into this doctrine. 
 He will there delight to ascribe his conversion, sancti'-" 
 fication, and complete redemption, entirely to God ; 
 and it will not detract in the least from the greatness 
 of the mercy he has received, because he who bestowed 
 it upon him meant to do it, and eternally meant to do it. 
 
 Parle Slrasl Leciuris. Edwards' Miscellaniiouj Obsorratlooa. Wooils" Letten. 
 
SECTION XII. 
 
 PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 Q. I. What are we to understand by the perse- 
 verance .of the saints ? , 
 
 A. It is not meant, when we assert that the saints 
 will certainly persevere, but that they may be left to 
 commit great sins. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, 
 David, Solomon, and Paul, were left to show very 
 decidedly that they were imperfect, after they had 
 become eminently pious. We do not mean that saints 
 cannot lose for any period of time the appearance of 
 holiness. It is however to be observed, that they give 
 no evidence that they are Christians when they exhibit 
 no appearance of holiness in their conduct. 
 
 The most distinguishing graces of the gospel may be 
 so successfully counterfeited, that saints can give no 
 certain evidence of their adoption any further than 
 they give evidence that they walk in the path of truth 
 and holiness. It is however most certain that they 
 may be real Christians, while no distinguishing evi- 
 dences are seen by men in, their, conduct. Man look- 
 eth upon the outward appearance, while it is the pro- 
 vince of Jehovah alone to survey the heart. Men may 
 have in their own minds the most deep and sincere 
 repentance for their sins, while it may be concealed 
 from others. David and Peter, and many other emi- 
 nent Christians, for a time, lost all appearance of piety. 
 The same fact is undeniably evident from the parable 
 * of the ten virgins : " Then shall the kingdom of heaven 
 be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and 
 went forth to meet the bridegroom, And five of them 
 
PERSEVERANCE OP THE SAINTS. 169 
 
 were wise and five were foolish. They that were 
 foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them ; 
 but the wise topk oil in their vessels with their lamps. 
 While the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and 
 slept," &Lc.a 
 
 Without referring to the custom to which this para- 
 ble alludes, or attempting to give it a critical explana- 
 tion, we may notice the. following things, as having a 
 direct bearing on the subject before us: 1. Real 
 Christians may be asleep. " They all slumbered and 
 slept." 2. Others may have the appearance of religion 
 without the reality. "The foolish took their lamps, 
 but took no oil with them." " And they said unto the 
 wise, Give us of you oil, for our lamps are gone out." 
 3. There may be a radical difference between men, 
 when that difference cannot be discovered. Both the 
 wise and foolish had lamps, and lamps may be seen ; 
 but both had not oil, and oil is not seen. 
 
 It is not meant by the perseverance of the saints 
 that such as have been born again will be saved, let 
 them do what they will. It would be a contradic- 
 tion in terms. We might with equal propriety assert 
 that they will certainly persevere, though they fall 
 away. 
 
 It is meant by perseverance that all who are regenera- 
 ted and made partakers of the grace of God, although 
 they may be left to occasional imperfections, and to 
 commit very, aggravating sins, will be enabled so far 
 to hold on their way, as on the whole to wax stronger 
 and stronger, till the workof sactification be completed. 
 In other words, it is meant that " he which hath begun 
 a good work in them will perform it unto the day of 
 Jesus Christ."& 
 
 Q. II. What evidence have we of the truth of this 
 doctrine ? 
 
 • Mat. ixv, 1— 8. tPUl.X.t. 
 
170 PERSEVERANCE OP THE SAINTS. 
 
 A. One argument may be derived from the fact that 
 God is determined to save some of our race. If any 
 thing can be inferred concerning hi^ designs from vyhat 
 he has done, it is certain that he means to save some. 
 If he has given his only begotten Son to die for sinners ; 
 if he has revealed the terms on which his merits may 
 be applied to them ; and if he has provided many man- 
 sions for the eternal residence of those to whom they 
 are applied, we must believe that he has determined 
 the salvation of some at least. The supposition that 
 he has been at this expense, while in his own mind it 
 was uncertain whether a single individual should ever 
 be benefitted by it, must be considered a base reflec- 
 tion upon his character. But if he has so far deter- 
 mined the salvation of any individuals that their salva- 
 tion is certain, it will be seen that upon every legitimate 
 principle of .reasoning their perseverance is equally 
 certain. We are brought to the same conclusion by 
 an argument to which we have already alluded while 
 discussing the doctrine of election. It was clearly, and 
 it is believed satisfactorily shown, that unless God be 
 changeable, whatever he does he had forever deter- 
 mined to do. That he does, by conviction, conversion 
 and by sanctification, save some, will not be disputed ; 
 and by consequence the perseverance of such must be 
 infallibly certain. 
 
 2. The truth of this doctrine is evident from the 
 metaphors which are used in the Bible to represent the 
 security of the saints. In some passages our Savior is 
 called the good shepherd. " I am the good shephel-d. 
 * * My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and 
 I give unto them eternal life."a Other shepherds, 
 whil'i the shades of night are spread over them, may 
 by v^olves and beasts of prey be robbed of their flocks ; 
 but who will say that he who never slumbers nor sleeps, 
 
 a John z. 14,27. 
 
PERSEVERANCE OP THE SAINTS. 171 
 
 whose eyes are to the ends of the earth, and who has 
 laid down his Hfe for the sheep, will permit them to be 
 torn from his fold ? When some adversary more wal^e- 
 ful and more powerful shall attack the good shep- 
 herd, then, and not till then, may we reasonably enter- 
 tain fears that his sheep may be destroyed. 
 
 Again, such is the connection between the Savior 
 and his church, that they are represented as being one 
 body. " And he is the head of the body, the church."a 
 " Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in par- 
 ticular."i The same idea is exhibited in a number of 
 other passages.c If this metaphor does not represent 
 the connection between the Savior and his people as 
 being indissoluble, it would be difficult to find one that 
 would ; and indeed it would be difficult to frame a pro- 
 position, whether a metaphor be employed or not, that 
 would exhibit such a connection in a more clear and 
 conclusive manner. It is impossible for a body to lose 
 one of its members, without becoming to some extent 
 a cripple. How can we believe that metaphors, indi- 
 cating a connection as near and as strong as this, would 
 be so often used in the Scriptures, if such a connection 
 did not exist ? 
 
 Again, the children of God are represented as being 
 incorporated with Jesus Christ into one building. The 
 apostle Paul observes to his Bphesiah brethren, who 
 were Gentiles, " Ye are no more strangers and foreign- 
 ers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and the house- 
 hold of God ; and are built upon the foundation of the 
 apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the 
 chief corner stone, in whom all the building, fitly framed 
 together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord ; in 
 whom ye also are builded together, for a habitation of 
 God, through the Spirit,"^ Would that building be 
 
 oCol. i. IS. 41 Cor. xii. 27. cl Cor. i. 18. xii. 18, Eph. iy. 12. dEph. ii. 19 
 
172 PEESBVEEANCE OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 complete, from the body of which one single stone 
 should be removed ? When one stone is removed, the 
 second is removed with the greater ease ; and what 
 security can we have, if the adversary be able to re- 
 move one, that the whole temple will not soon be in 
 ruins ? 
 
 Again, Christians are represented as belonging to 
 the same family with the Lord Jesus Christ. They 
 are called his brethren. Brethren of the same family, 
 will not be very ready to give up each other to their 
 common enemy, if they are able to jprevent it. 
 
 3. Another important argument, in the view of the 
 candid, may be drawn from those passages which seem 
 to admit that real Christians may loose the life and 
 appearance of religion to a lamentable degree, which 
 at the same time show us that they will not wholly 
 apostatize. " A just man.faHeth seven times, and riseth 
 again."a " But God is faithful, who will not suffer 
 you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with 
 the temptation make a way to escape."6 This passage 
 very plainly implies that men may to a great extent 
 be drawn away by the influence of temptation, and yet, 
 through the faithfulness of God, may be prevented from 
 final apQstacJ^ The apostle Paul in his epistle to 
 Timothy, admonishes him to shun certMn teachers, 
 alleging that by their corrupt instruction they had 
 " overthrown the faith of some." How often is this 
 passage cited to prove that saints may finally aposta- 
 tize from the favor of God ! The apostle, as though 
 he were aware that such a sentiment by a careless 
 reading might be drawn from his declaration, and as 
 though he meant studiously to guard against it, adds. in 
 the next verse, " Nevertheless the foundation of God 
 standeth sure, having this seal: The Lord knoweth 
 them that are his."c From this we have an undoubted 
 
 oPwv. xar U. » 1 Cor. i. U. .2 Tim. ii. 18, 19. 
 
PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS. • 173 
 
 right to conclude that the faith which had been over- 
 thrown was not a living, but a cold and dead faith. 
 From this passage it is also plain that although persons 
 may have a faith, and may have for a while the sem- 
 blance of religion, and finally apostatize, their aposta- 
 cy is no evidence againSt the doctrine we are attempt- 
 mg to support. 
 
 4. All the perfections in the character of God seem 
 to be pledged for the support of this doctrine. In the 
 passage we have just cited, the foundation on which 
 the saints are built is said to be as sure as the knowledge 
 of God ; " The foundation of God standeth sure, having 
 this seal : The Lord knoweth them that are his." The 
 force of the apostle's argument in this passage appears 
 to be this : As certain as it is that the Lord knoweth 
 who are his, so certain it is that they will continue to 
 be his, and not make shipwreck of their faith. Who 
 would call in question the knowledge of God? 
 
 The pow.er of God is also pledged in support of this 
 doctrine. " Neither," says the Savior, " shall any man 
 pluck them out of my hand." Here it will be seen that 
 the Savior has pledged his power. If any of his peo- 
 ple should be lost, what is here stated could not be 
 viewed as truth. But he adds, " My Father who gave 
 them me is greater than all, and no man is able to 
 pluck them out of my Father's hand. "a Here the 
 power of the Father is pledged, and the foundation of 
 his children is as secure as Omnipotence itself can make 
 it. He next observes, " I and my Father are one ; by 
 which he undoubtedly meant to be understood that 
 both the Father and the Son are dl[ually engaged to 
 secure the perseverance of the saints. 
 
 We have now shown that both the knowledge and 
 the power of God are pledged for the support of his 
 people. Itwould seem, did we not know how strangely 
 
 a John z. 23, 19. 
 
174 • PEEBEVERANCK OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 the human mind can turn away its eye from the weight 
 of evidence, that the passages we have now quoted 
 would remove all doubts, and set this subject among 
 the undoubted and undisputed subjects of the Bi- 
 ble. 
 
 But we have not only the knowledge and the power 
 of God pledged for the security of his people, but his 
 oath. " Wherein God, willing more abundantly to 
 show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his 
 counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immuta- 
 ble things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, 
 we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for 
 refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us."a The 
 express object, according to this passage, for which 
 the Almighty condescended to confirm his promise by 
 an oath, was that those who have fled for refuge, to lay 
 hold on the hope set before them, might have a strong 
 consolation. Something very similar to this is con- 
 tained in the declaration of our Lord to his apostles : 
 " Because I live, ye shall live also."& It cannot be true 
 that his people live for the same reason that he lives, 
 unless their life is as certain as his. This passage 
 cannot be understood to mean any thing less than a 
 solemn assurance on .the part of the Savior that his 
 people shall live, Now if an " oath for confirmation 
 is an end of all strife,"c then an oath from him for whom 
 it is impossible to lie, and who is certainly able to carry 
 all his determinations into effect, ought to close forever 
 all debate on this subject. Such indeed was the effect 
 which it did produce on the mind of the apostle ; for 
 he immediately exclaimed, " Which hope we have as 
 an anchor to the soul both sure and steadfast." 
 
 5. Another and a very conclusive argument in proof 
 of the doctrine in question may be derived from what 
 our Savior has said concerning the joy that is occa- 
 
 a Heb. vi. 18, 19. b John lir. 19. o Heb. ri. IS. 
 
PERSEVERANCE OP THE SAINTB. 175 
 
 sioned in heaven by the repentance of sinners. *' I say 
 unt6 you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one 
 sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine 
 just persons which need no repentance."a What ra- 
 tional ground can there be for such joy among the 
 inhabitants of heaven when a sinner on earth repents, 
 if it be not certain that every penitent will be saved, 
 and if that certainty be not known 1 If it be not cer- 
 tain that every true penitent will persevere, their re- 
 joicing is premature, and they may be only preparing 
 themselves for disappointment. What but the confi- 
 dent expectation that the repenting sinner will be kept 
 by the mighty power of God through faith unto salva- 
 tion, and come at length to partake of their happiness, 
 could inspire among the redeemed of the Lord such 
 raptures of joy ? Are they ignorant of the scheme of 
 salvation, and thus subject to disappointment ? or, is 
 every repenting sinner an heir of glory? 
 
 6. There are many passages of Scripture which 
 speak with plainness and decision on this subject ; but 
 as we have not room to insert them, the reader is re- 
 quested to look at those to which he is directed by the 
 references.6 
 
 Q. III. Are there not some passages which clearly 
 imply that saints are in danger of final apostacy ? 
 
 A. There are many passages we admit, that teach 
 us that christians are dependent, and what will be the 
 consequences if they are left of God. 
 
 " But when the righteous turneth away from his 
 righteousness, aild committeth iniquity, * * * in his 
 sin that he hath sinned shall he die."c " For it is im- 
 possible for those who were once enlightened, * * * 
 if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto re- 
 pentance."«Z " I keep under my body, and bring it 
 
 a Luke xy. 7. 6Phil. i. 8. 1 Pat. i. 5. Rom. riii. 39— 89. Mart. xxW. 24. Luki 
 X. 43. Job x»ii 9. c Eaik. xTiii. 24. d H«b. vi. 4, 6. 
 
176 PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 into subjection, lest by any means, when I have preached 
 to others, I myself should be a G.ast-away."a To show 
 that these passages, though they plainly imply that in 
 one sense it is possible for christians to apostatize and 
 perish, are perfectly harmonious in their meaning with 
 the doctrine of final perseverance, we need only ob- 
 serve that saints, when viewed by themselves, are lia- 
 ble to fall away. It is naturally possible, because they 
 are capable of sinning, and of continuing to sin. But 
 we are to remember that our evidence that the saints 
 will persevere is not founded on their ability to 
 stand, but on the promise that he who has begun a 
 good work in them will perform it unto the day of 
 Jesus Christ. There is a counterpart to this sentiment, 
 a view of which may serve to explain the point in 
 question. It is generally believed that sinners, in one 
 sense, are able to repent. They have all the natural 
 powers that are necessary. Of course it is naturally 
 possible for them to repent. But still, it is as genei-ally 
 believed that no sinner will ever repent, unless he be 
 drawn by the Spirit. 
 
 Q. IV. If it be morally impossible, because God has 
 secured their perseverance, for saints to fall away, how 
 is it proper for^ him to address them as though they 
 were in danger 1 
 
 A. There is the same reason in the divine conduct 
 in this case as in the case of the sinner to which we 
 have just alluded. It is admitted by all that it is suit- 
 able for God to command sinners to repent, because 
 they are naturally capable of repenting, though it is 
 certain that they never will, if left to themselves. The 
 course of reasoning in support of this point is plain. It 
 must be right for God to address them as moral agents, 
 and require a service to which he is entitled, and which 
 does not exceed their ability. All the commands and 
 
 a 1 Cor. ii, 27. 
 
PERSEVERANCE OP THE SAINTS. 177 
 
 invitations of the Bible are given to them on this pria- 
 ciple. The same reasoning is equally clear and con- 
 clusive in case of the saints. What God means to do 
 or what he designs to do, in preserving them, does not 
 affect their duty. They are capable of serving him, 
 or of falling away ; and on the ground of this capacity 
 he admonishes them, as agents, to take heed lest they 
 fall. Besides, these admonitions are made a means in 
 securing their perseverance, as in the case of the apos- 
 tle while on his voyage to Rome. Although he had 
 assured the crew that the angel of God had informed 
 him that there should be no loss of any man's life, yet, 
 when the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, 
 he declared expressly, " Except these abide in the ship, 
 ye cannot be saved."a This is a perfect illustration 
 of the- subject before us. God works by means; and 
 in the case of the righteous he will be careful that the 
 means necessary to their perseverance shall be adopted. 
 It is to be observed, that all those passages which inti- 
 mate a possibility that christians may come short of 
 heaven, are hypothetical : "If they shall fall away,"6 
 " When a righteous man," &c. Xvhereas, the promise of 
 perseverance has none of this uncertainty attached to 
 it. " Because I live, ye shall live also." "/ give unto 
 them eternal life, and they shall never />emA."c 
 
 Q. V. Does not this doctrine encourage sloth ? 
 
 A. It is not a little surprising that an objection of 
 this kind should come from such as have ever seen and 
 felt how feeble and how liable they are to wander from 
 the path of duty, and of course might know, it would 
 seem, how to prize the promises of God. " God is 
 faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above 
 that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make 
 a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear ii"d 
 What Christian, that is longing to be more and more 
 
 ■ AcU xXTji. 21, b Hsb, tI. % t John x. 28. d\ Cor, z, 1^ 
 
178 PERSEVKEANCE OF THE SAINTS. 
 
 conformed to the image of his God, would draw from this 
 promise license or encouragement to sin ? What was 
 the effect it produced on the mind of the apostle ? 
 " Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." 
 This was his inference ; and if others from a pro- 
 mise like this are inclined to draw motives to in- 
 dolence and sloth, would it not furnish conclusive evi- 
 dence that they had deceived themselves ? Would it 
 not prove that they were strangers to that grace that 
 teaches us to deny all ungodliness and every vforldly 
 lust ? This objection to the doctrine of perseverance 
 rests upon mistaken views of the grace of God, in its 
 influence on the heart. It supposes that the Christian 
 is not delighted with the service of God in itself con- 
 sidered, and that he is governed wholly by a desire to 
 secure his own happiness. It would be impossible to 
 devise a representation that would do greater injustice 
 to the character of God than such a sentiment as this. 
 Such motives are no better than those with which we 
 serve a tyrant, because we happen to be in his power. 
 Were a child pleased with the character of his parent, 
 with the nature of the service he had assigned him, 
 and knew no higher enjoyment than the prosperity of 
 his interest, would a promise of assistance on the part 
 of the parent encourage sloth and inactivity in the 
 child ? The sentiment that the people of God serve 
 only to secure their own happiness is a libel on reli- 
 gion. Were it to prevail in heaven, it would freeze 
 every heart, and close every song, and revive the 
 storms and contentions of our world ! With regard to 
 the impenitent sinner, this doctrine, as we have de- 
 scribed it, cannot have an improper effect on his mind. 
 The promises of God which relate to perseverance 
 must destroy the hopes of such as live in the allowed 
 practice of sin. They must be convinced that if they 
 have apostatized, they never were the children of God. 
 
PERSEVKRANCE Or THE SAINTS. 179 
 
 This was the inference the apostle drew from the 
 apostacy of some who had made a profession in his 
 day. " They went out from us, but they were not of 
 us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt 
 have continued with us ; but they went out, that they 
 might be made manifest that they were not all of 
 us."a 
 
 Parle Strest Lectures. Edwards' Works. Toplad/, 
 a 1 John ii. 19. 
 
SECTION XIII. 
 
 MEANS OF GRACE. 
 
 Q. L What are the means of grace ? 
 . A. Every thing that is instrumental in conviction, 
 conversion, and sanctification, such as the preaching of 
 the gospel, reading the Bible, reflection or meditation, 
 instruction of children, and prayer. 
 
 Q. 2. What evidence have we that God is pleased 
 to work by the use of means ? 
 
 A. It is evident, it may be seen first, from the com- 
 mand of God. We are commanded to preach " the 
 gospel to every creature," to " search the Scriptures," 
 to " examine ourselves," &c. We can form no concep- 
 tion of any other object to be accomplished by these 
 means. This is the object of their appointment, as it 
 is expressed in the Scriptures. The gospel is to be 
 preached that men may heliew. " How shall they be- 
 lieve on him of whom they have not heard V'a Chil- 
 dren are to be trained up " in the way they should go, 
 that when they are old they may not depart from it."& 
 Timothy was directed to instruct with meekness those 
 who oppose themselves, and for his encouragement he 
 was assured that peradventure God might give them 
 repentance. c. 
 
 2. The Scriptures assert in the most explicit man- 
 ner the sentiment now in question. (See question, 
 What is the instrument in regeneration ? p. 117.) 
 
 Besides it would be impossible to conjecture for what 
 purpose the Bible, Sabbath, or the preaching of the 
 gospel was given us, unless it be for means of grace. 
 
 a Bora. z. U. b Fnv. xzii. 6. < Tim. li. 2ti. 
 
MEANS OP GRACE. 181 
 
 Q. III. In what manner must we attend to the means 
 of grace, in order to enjoy the best prospects that they 
 may prove to be blessings ? 
 
 A. To give a distinct answer to this question, it will 
 be necessary to make some remarks on each of them 
 separately. We shall pass over the manner in which 
 the gospel is to be preached and heard, as this is a sub- 
 ject often exhibited from the pulpit. On the manner in 
 which the Bible is to be read, much might be said that 
 would be useM and important. But the limits of this 
 work will allow us to give but the outlines of the sub- 
 ject. 
 
 1. While we are reading the Bible we should cherish 
 continually a sense of its divine authority. We should 
 view it as the message of Jehovah, written expressly 
 
 for us, and spoken directly to us. It would be impossi- 
 ble, with an impression like this, to indulge, while pass- 
 ing over its sacred pages, a loose, speculating spirit. 
 It would be our constant aim to learn its meaning, and 
 not to seek for ingenious methods of bending it to our 
 pre-conceived opinions. Should we think, if God 
 were addressing us as audibly as he addressed Moses 
 on Mount Sinai, of replying and dictating what would 
 be proper and consistent for him to reveal? It'would 
 be no more impious than to attempt to do away or per- 
 vert the plain and obvious meaning of his word. 
 
 2. It is important when we read the Bible that we en- 
 deavor to understand it. No book on earth, it is be- 
 lieved, is read as much in a careless and inattentive 
 manner as the Bible. It is* read by many merely to 
 satisfy the demands of their consciences, that they may 
 be able to say that they have read it. Children are 
 often rewarded for reading it just in proportion to the 
 number of chapters they pass over in a given time. 
 Let the contents of the Scriptures be ever so impor- 
 tant, so long as they are read in this way they only 
 
182 MEANS OF GRACE. 
 
 defeat the object for which they were given. They 
 were given to teach us our duty, and briiig us to the 
 Savior. This careless method of reading, while it 
 makes us entirely satisfied with ourselves, deprives us 
 wholly of this information. In this inattentive manner 
 whole chapters are often read by the master of a fam- 
 ily, when perhaps scarcely an individual has been suf- 
 ficiently attentive to retain a single idea. It is firmly 
 believed that the great objects for which the Bible was 
 given would be ffir better answered by having but few 
 verses given but at every reading for the next, that the 
 family might be able to investigate it, and to answer all 
 the important questions which it might suggest. Al- 
 though it is true, that to understand some parts of the 
 Bible, books are necessary which are not within the 
 reach of every family, yet so far as it is requisite in 
 order to secure the best interests of our souls, so far, 
 it is believed, it is within the power of every one to 
 understand it, if they give it their serious attention. 
 
 3. The, Scriptures should be perused /regweMfZy. It 
 is a fact, which the experience of every man cannot 
 fail to teach him, that his mind is affected by almost 
 every object in proportion (to an important extent) to 
 the time during which that object is before the mind. 
 This plain principle, which is common to our nature, 
 must furnish every person who duly estimates the knowl- 
 edge of the Bible, with one of the strongest motives for 
 a dihgent and persevering examination of it ; while it 
 perfectly accounts for the lamentable ignorance and 
 indifference that we too often witness with respect to 
 a knowledge of the scriptures. It is owing to the in- 
 fluence of this principle that the minds of j'outh are so 
 often employed in trifling and useless reading, while the 
 Bible is entirely neglected. 
 
 Reflection or meditation, it has already been observ- 
 ed, is a means of grace. Its importance may be in- 
 
MBAN3 OP GBACB. 183 
 
 ferred from the principle stated in the last paragraph. 
 However important truth may be, we can no more ex- 
 pect that it will produce its desired effect on the mind 
 without meditation, than that medicine will effect a cure 
 though it be never taken. It is true that the instruc- 
 tions contained in the Bible are perfectly adapted to 
 our condition. They give us a knowledge of those 
 subjects which it is most important that we should un- 
 derstand, of which we should otherwise be entirely ig- 
 norant. They teach us by what process we are to 
 know ourselves, and to become reconciled to God. But 
 unless they are read, and their truths made the subject 
 of serious meditation, they will b5 of no more benefit 
 to us, than a mine of gold is to its owner, while he lives 
 and dies in perfect ignorance of its existence. 
 
 But the most important of all 'the means of^grac.e_is 
 p rayer. If any of the duties of religion are taught by 
 the light of nature, it is prayer. It is a dictate of na- 
 ture that we should seek the assistance of him on whom 
 we are dependent. It has been the opinion of some 
 that impenitent sinners are under no obligation to pray. 
 For this opinion we find ourselves unable to account, 
 unless it be taken from the declaration of Solomon, that 
 " the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination." With 
 equal propriety we might infer that impenitent sinners 
 are under no obligation to labor, because it is said that 
 " Whatever is not of faith is sin." It is universally ac- 
 knowledged to be a sin to till our fields, or pursue any 
 temporal avocation, with no other motive than the grati- 
 fication of pride ; but no one infers from this that sin- 
 ners are not under obligation to labor, not that their sin 
 is not less than it would be, were they to neglect it. 
 And if, while they have no better motives, their labor 
 may be the means of good, why may not prayers which 
 are offered with improper motives be the means of 
 good ? If a sinner attempt to call on the name of Je- 
 
184 MEANS OP GRACE. 
 
 hovah with a determination to retain his impenitent and 
 unhumbled spirit, it would be nothing better than the 
 most impious mockery. But if he come before him 
 ■with no other spirit than that which is often produced 
 by fear, the very attempt itself, whatever may be his 
 motives, may be a powerful means of bringing him to 
 repentance. As it brings before his mind the charac- 
 ter of God, he necessarily becomes more solemn and 
 conscientious. It is here that the sinner often makes 
 discoveries of the wickedness of his heart, tb which he 
 was before a stranger, and which brings him helpless 
 and trembling to the arms of the Redeemer. But as a 
 conclusive argument that sinners are under obligation 
 to pray, it may be observed that it would be a strange 
 process of reasoning by which we would prove that 
 sin, or impenitence, will release a man from his duty. 
 Were he as perfect as the angels in heaven, it would be 
 his duty, while in this dependent state, to pray. If we 
 suppose that sinning against God has released him from 
 this or any other duty, it would be virtually adopting 
 the strange opinion that sin may work its own atone- 
 ment. On the subject of secret prayer but few obser- 
 vations will be made. The man who does not believe 
 himself under obligation to perform a duty as particu- 
 larly and explicitly described as this, cannot be a be- 
 liever in the Bible. a It may however be remarked that 
 not a little depends on the manner in which this duty 
 is performed. It is believed that if we habitually make 
 it the first employment to which we turn our attention 
 in the morning, we shall not only receive more enjoy- 
 ment during the performance, as the mind will not be 
 crowded with other objects, but the effects which it will 
 leave, and the influence it will exert on the mind through 
 the day, will be far more visible and important. 
 The same reasons evidently go to show the impor- 
 
 a Mit. vi. 6, 8, 
 
MEANS OF GRACB. 185 
 
 tance of visiting the closet frequently. In this way an 
 ascendancy of spiritual thoughts and of spiritual influ- 
 ence over those that are worldly will be maintained in 
 the mind. 
 
 Q. IV. What evidence have we that family religion, 
 such as reading the Bible, prayer, and religious instruc- 
 tion, is the duty of all parents ? 
 
 A. The first argument which we would adduce is 
 drawn from the relations which the different members 
 of a family sustain to each other. If there be such a 
 thing as moral obligation in existence, it always attends 
 the different relations in life. It is an inference obvi- 
 ously ded\cible from the light of nature, that, as chil- 
 dren are dependent on their parents, it is the duty of 
 their parents, by their example, and in every other way 
 in their power, to endeavor to promote the best inter- 
 ests of their children. This we trust we sliall be able 
 to show cannot be done without giving them a religious 
 education. As every family has a combination of in- 
 terests, nothing can be more reasonable than that they 
 should be taught to worship God in that capacity. 
 
 2. Stated rehgious worship in the family is the best 
 method to communicate religious instruction. There 
 is no influence which is as powerful on the minds of 
 children as that of parental example. In what manner 
 can we plant an impression on the minds of children so 
 deep and lasting, that there is an invisible and almighty 
 Agent whom we. fear and reverence, as by statedly 
 bowing before his throne, acknowledging his grace, and 
 pleading for his mercy ? From what can they learn 
 that this is our opinion, while we neglect this duty ? 
 How can we in any other way so well teach them that 
 they are dependent and dying creatures, and that they 
 live on the mercy and compassion of God ? When 
 they hear these things feelingly and sincerely acknow- 
 ledged, they have a better evidence that we believe 
 
186 MEANS OF GRACE. 
 
 them, and one which will more lastingly affect their 
 minds, than it is possible to afford them in any other 
 way. Now let every parent seriously ask himself 
 whether it is a matter of little consequence that his 
 children should know that they are dependent on God, 
 that they are sinners, and as such are going to his bar ? 
 Can he be willing, while he must be sensible that he is 
 continually teaching his children by his own example 
 that which is comparatively of no consequence, to let 
 them remain ignorant of the immortality of their na- 
 tures, and the fearful and righteous destiny that awaits 
 them ? While he is anxious to make them comfortable 
 and respectable in the present life, will he fe^ no inter- 
 est in their welfare beyond the grave ? In what way 
 is it possible for parents to manifest an affection so ra- 
 tional and endearing, and one that is so likely to win 
 upon the feelings of their children, as to show them by 
 their example how dear a place the best interests of 
 their souls occupy in their hearts,? 
 
 3. Family prayer is a duty clearly inferred from 
 scripture example. It is not a little surprising that it 
 should ever be plead, as an apology, for the neglect of 
 this duty, that it is not expressly commanded in the 
 Bible ! After an explicit command to pray always, and 
 with all frayer,a for parents to think of being excused, 
 or to desire to be excused, when their examples are so 
 influential in their families, is a painful indication that 
 they have no proper sense of duty or the worth of souls. 
 How can parents follow the direction of the Savior, and 
 pray "Our Father, &c. give us this day our daily bread," 
 &c. and let their children know that they do it, unless 
 they observe the duty of morning and evening prayer 
 in their families ? " CorneHus was a devout man, and 
 one that feared God, with all his house, * * and 
 prayed to God alway."6 But the example of the Savior 
 
 a I Tim. ii. 1—8. b Acts x. 2. 
 
MEANS OP GEACE. 187 
 
 is an firgument which no Christian can wish to evade. 
 Though he had no house, yet he had a family. " It 
 came to pass, as he was alone praying, and his dis- 
 ciples were with him." 
 
 4. Family prayer is an important means of perseve- 
 rance. It is often said that prayer is the life of reli- 
 gion, and nothing can be more true ; for whatever may 
 be our pretensions, so long as we live without prayer, 
 we are dead while we live. Though spiritual life may 
 depend more on secret than any other kind of prayer, 
 yet it will be seen at once that there are many sins 
 which prayer in the family will be far the most likely 
 to prevent. What can be more likely to make a 
 Christian parent feel the importance of walking soberly 
 and circumspectly before his family, than the reflection 
 that he has led them in the solemn duty of prayer ? 
 
 5. How is it possible, without a steady and faithful 
 discharge of this duty, to bring up our children in the 
 nurture and admonition of the Lqrd ? "While, as it has 
 been already remarked, the minds of children are more 
 eflFectually influenced by parental example than by any 
 thing else, what better, are our examples, if this duty be 
 neglected, than those of worldly.irreligious men? How 
 can we expect that they will feel it to be their duty to 
 pray, while they hear no acknowledgments to God of 
 dependence, or of obligation from their parents ? 
 
 6. Parents must give an account of all their oppor- 
 tunities to instruct their children, and the influence they 
 have had it in their power to exert over them, at the 
 bar of Jehovah. It is believed that this consideration 
 of itself, were it duly weighed, would be sufficient to 
 remove all doubts, and lead parents to the faithful and 
 persevering performance of this duty. While it is neg- 
 lected, every parent must know that he is cherishing 
 the natural aversion of heart, in the minds of his chil- 
 dren, towards religion and its duties by the most effec- 
 
188 MEANS OF GKACE. 
 
 tual inducements which it is in his power to place be- 
 fore them. He cannot take a more direct course to 
 convince them that it is not hazardous, nor offensive to 
 God, to neglect his service. What parent is willing to 
 meet the account of a life spent in this way — a life de- 
 voted to the ruin of his children, at the grat day of de- 
 scision? How trifling must every apology for the neg- 
 lect of this duty appear in view of that day ! Where 
 is the parent who seriously reflects on that day, when 
 he must meet his children, with all the opportunities 
 he has enjoyed, to instruct them, who can rest a mo- 
 ment in the neglect of this duty, by saying that he has; 
 not the requisite abilities, or that he has so long neg- 
 lected his duty, he cannot perform it ? 
 
 Dwight's Theology. Park Steeet Leatures. Doddridge'a Address to Parents. Or- 
 ion on Prayer. 
 
SECTION XIV. 
 
 CONSEQUENCES OF DEATH. 
 
 Q.I. What are the immediate consequence^ of death? 
 
 A. One of the immediate consequences of death is a 
 termination of our time of trial or probation. The word 
 probation is not used in the Bible, and on this account 
 many are inclined to consider all that is said about it as 
 a speculation which is wholly without foundation. The 
 same objection might be made to the doctrine of a fu- 
 ture state. The Vfor As future state, ov futurity, are no 
 where used in the Scriptures. We must be pitiably 
 ignorant of the history of the world, not to know that 
 language, in its common use, may change, and that new 
 words and phrases may be adopted, whose meaning 
 may be synonymous with others which have been used 
 before them. 
 
 By a state of probation we mean a time in which we 
 are allowed to act on trial for the retributions of the 
 future world. It is a time in which we may choose 
 life or death, with the assurance that according to our 
 choice will be our future condition. That the present 
 is such a state is evident from the parable of the unjust 
 steward : " Give an account of thy stewardship, for 
 thou mayest be no longer steward." The same senti- 
 ment is clearly exhibited in the parable of the vineyard. 
 In this parable the time of trial is compared to the 
 hours in a day. The invitations were given out, and 
 such as accepted went in during the twelve hours. 
 When the twelfth hour arrived, they were called to re- 
 ceive their reward. The wise man observes, " What- 
 soever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might ; 
 
 9* 
 
190 CONSEaUENCES OF DEATH. 
 
 fpr there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor 
 wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest."a Says the 
 Savior, " Be ye also ready ; for in such an hour as ye 
 think not the Son of man cometh."& It is presumed 
 that no one would contend that the direction here given 
 is that we should b^ in readiness for another state of 
 trial ; because, for the same reason that another will 
 be needed, we cannot fail of being ready. As nothing 
 but depravity, could render such a state necessary, 
 there could be no danger that we should not be ready 
 for it. Further, '• The rich man died, and in hell he lifted 
 up his eyes, being in torments."c The whole account 
 of the rich man and Lazarus is plain and unequivoca'l 
 in the support of this sentiment. For what reason was 
 the rich man denied the smallest mercy of which we 
 can form any conception, if his opportunity to obtain 
 the favor of God were not irrecoverably past ? Upon 
 what principle could it be said that he had received his 
 good things, if his case were not hopeless ? We know 
 it is often said that this is a parable. Should we grant 
 it, must we suppose that it has no meaning ? And if 
 we set aside the plain and obvious meaning of this para- 
 ble, why not that of every other ? Again, we are ex- 
 plicitly and repeatedly told that the account which we 
 must render at the judgment day will he for the deeds 
 done in the hody.d Can we suppose that men will be 
 favored with another time of probation after death, and 
 that they will not be called to give an account for the 
 manner in which they improve it ? There can be no 
 such period of trial after the general judgment. A time 
 of trial, supposes a time of reckoning, and without it 
 would be a phrase without meaning. As there are but 
 few passages of Scripture which are ever brought for- 
 ward to prove that there will be a day of grace or trial 
 in the. futtire world, w^ shall now give them a brief, 
 
 u Ecel. ix. 10. * ITbu. xKlr. 44. • I,i\k< xvi. 23. ^2 Cor. r. 10. 
 
CONSEaUENCES OP DEATH. 191 
 
 but candid examination. The most important may be 
 found in the firs^gene^al Epistle of Peter : a " By which 
 also he went and preached to the spirits ih prison." It 
 is thought by many that an account is here given of 
 what the Savior did after his death. Btit in order to 
 understand the passage correctly, let the question be 
 asked, Uow did he go and preach to the spirits in pri- 
 son ? The answer is, " &y his Spirit." If the question 
 be, when did he go and preach to them ? the answer is, 
 " when once the long suffering of God wSiited in the 
 days of Noah." The prison to which the apostle re- 
 ferred was doubtless the prison of hell ; and those diso- 
 bedient persons to whom Noah, by the Spirit of Christ, 
 was constantly preaching while the ark was 'preparing, 
 at the time the apostle wrote, were in hell. " Py ^Vhich 
 also he went and preached." Here the past tense is 
 used. " To the spirits in prison." This is in the pres- 
 ent tense. That there is nothing unnatura,! ia say- 
 ing that the preaching of Christ was by the person 
 of Noah, is plain from this fact ; Noah was' called a 
 preacher of righteousness, and in the first chapter of 
 this epistle the prophets are said to have prophesied 
 through the Spirit o? Christ j " Of which salvation the 
 prophets have inquired and seaj-ched diligently, search- 
 ing what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ 
 which was in them did signify, when it testified before- 
 hand the sufferings of Christ," &c. Now it is certainly 
 as rational to suppose that Christ should preach, as pro- 
 phesy, by his Spirit, through his prophets. This pas- 
 sage, then, according to our views, may be explained 
 simply by the help of the Bible itself, and the' explana- 
 tion is perfectly consistent with the gramniatical con- 
 struction of our language. Some reasons will now be 
 given to show that the passage cannot be otherwise 
 explained. 
 
 a 1 Pet. Ui. 18, 19, 20, 
 
29^ CONSHaUENCES OF DEATH. 
 
 1. It would set this jingle passage in opposition to 
 the rest of the Bible, as we have already shown. 
 
 2. Nothing can be gained by supposing that Christ 
 went, after his death, and preached to the spirits in hell. 
 If we admit it, what evidence have we that one sinner 
 ever repented under his preaching there \ It is certain 
 that he preached to naany, while on earth, who did not 
 repent. 
 
 3. No reason can be given why the Savior should 
 be said to preach in hell to the spirits that lived before 
 the flood, and not a word about his preaching to any 
 others. , 
 
 In connection with this is another passage which is 
 Sometimes supposed to mean that sinners are favored 
 witji a day of trial after the present life : " For, for this 
 cause was the gospel preached to them that are dead"« 
 The apostle had been speaking of the unreasonable 
 accusations of wicked men towards such as were real 
 ehristians, because they ran not with them to the same 
 excess of riot. He then reminds them that all must 
 soon give an account to him who is ready to judge the 
 quick and the dead. " For, for this cause was the gos- 
 pel preached to them that are dead." That is, the 
 gospel had been preached to thoSe pious men who were 
 then dead, that they might experience the same cen- 
 sures and accusations irom the men of this world that 
 the righteous did when the apostle wrote his epistle, 
 but that they might live, while they were subject to 
 these reproaches, according to God in the Spirit, and 
 thus be a standing reproof to their accusers. If we 
 suppose that the expression ." might live according to 
 God in the Spirit" refers to the life in the world of 
 spirits, it alters nothing, since it is plain that the time 
 when the gospel was preached to them was when they 
 were subject to those evil censures, and of course when 
 
 a I Pet iT. 6. 
 
CONSEaUENOBS OF DEATH. 193 
 
 they were in the present world. Thus it is plain that 
 E^ candid construction of these passages shows that they 
 perfectly agree with the rest of the Bible, and do not 
 exhibit the slightest indication of any other state of 
 trial beyond the present Ufe. Passages which are sup- 
 posed to imply, that the. wicked will be relfeased from 
 the prison of hell will be explained in their proper 
 place. 
 
 Q. II. Do thp souls of men exist after death, previous 
 to the resurrection ? 
 
 A. The opinion that the soul sleeps as well as the 
 body is taken, probably, from the fact that each appears 
 to be dependent on the other, and from passages of 
 Scripture like the following : " For in death there is no 
 remembrance of thee : in the grave who shall give 
 thee thanks V'a From the fact that , the connection 
 between the mind and body is such, that one cannot 
 suffer withcjut affecting the other. There is a strong 
 prejudice with many in favor of the opinion that one 
 cannot exist without the other. Another fact, dif- 
 fering however but little from this, is that the mind, in 
 its general course, seems to keep pace with the body. 
 When the body i| young and active, so is the mind ; 
 when the body is old and feeble, the mind is so like- 
 wise. From this appearance, '^ome, while they are 
 convinced of the truth of the Bible, deem the opinion 
 that the mind may exist without the body as unphilo- 
 sophical. In this way many have been led to believe 
 that after death the mind would continue to sleep till 
 the resurrection. But if we look at this subject with 
 care, we shall see that this argument is more specious 
 than solid. It is a fact that the mind is sometimes 
 most active when the body is inactive, or at least when 
 its operations are only sufficient for the continuance of 
 life. It is sometimes the case that when the body is 
 
 a Pi. vi. 5. 
 
194 CONSEQUENCES OF DEATH. 
 
 asleep there are some faculties of the mind which are 
 very active. Besides, it is a well known fact that we 
 may lose the use of one part of the body after another, 
 til! nothing but life remains, and yet the mind is not 
 injured. But what forms the strongest presumption 
 that the mind may exist without the body is the sub- 
 serviency of the body to the mind. 
 
 The body seems to be little else than a medium, or 
 instrument, by which the mind accomplishes its designs, 
 and makes itself known. If the mind wills to go to 
 some other place, the body is the mere vehicle by 
 which it moves. If the body be defective, if for in- 
 stance one of the legs be lame, a staff answers the 
 same purpose. And when our vision is imperfect, 
 glasses become as real assistants to the mind, and are as 
 really the instruments of conveying impressions to the 
 mind, as the lens of the eye. By these remarks it is 
 plain that the body is the mere passive instrument by 
 which the mind accomplishes its purposes. How irra- 
 tional to suppose that the mind must cease to exist 
 when it leaves the body, while the body itself remains ! 
 It may also be remarked that the causes by which the 
 life of the body is destroyed do not affect the mind. 
 If we watch the progress of an incurable disease, we 
 shall see it constantly diminishing the powers of the 
 body, but the mind remains uninjured to the last. Its 
 conceptions are as clear, its emotions as strong, as they 
 were in health. No dependence, therefore, can be 
 placed upon that presumption which is drawn from the 
 connection of the mind and body, that the former can- 
 not exist without the latter. But this is a subject 
 concerning which we have no clear and decisive 
 evidence except what is drawn from the Scriptures. 
 With regard to the passage we have already cited, 
 and others of a similar character, they seem only to 
 intimate that in death we shall cease to praise Qod 
 
CONSEaUENCES OF DEATH. 195 
 
 on the 6arth. Some of these passages merely state 
 that air opportunity to secure the favor of God will 
 end at death. But there are many decfarations in the 
 Bible which it seems impossible to reconcile with this 
 opinion, that the soul sleeps. The Sadducees, who 
 denied the doctrine of the resurrection, eiideavored at 
 a certain time to entrap the Savior in his words. They 
 put to him a case where seven brethren, according to 
 the law of Moses, had been marrie4 to one woman, 
 and desired to know which would be the husband of 
 the woman at the resurrection. The Savior in answer, 
 after telling them they had erred; not knowing the 
 Scriptures nor the power of God, put them this ques- 
 tion : " Have yfe not read that which was spoken unto 
 you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and 
 the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob ? God is not 
 the God of the dead, but of the living."a Now this 
 argument, by which the Savior silenced the Sadducees, 
 has no weight, (for in fact the sentence has no meaning) 
 unless those patriarchs whom he named were then 
 existing in the spiritual world. Again, the apostle 
 Paul, in his Epistle to the Philippians, tells them that he 
 was in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart 
 and be with Christ, which he considered far better for 
 him ; but for him to abide in the flesh Was needful for 
 them.6 Again, the Savior observed to the penitent 
 thief on the cross, " To-day thOu shalt be with me in 
 paradise."c Again, in the parable of the rich man and 
 Lazarus, the Savior remarks, " And it came to pass, 
 that the beggar died, and was carried by angels into 
 Abraham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was bu- 
 ried ; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in tor- 
 ments,"i Again, " For we that are in this tabernacle do 
 groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our 
 house which is from heaven." These passages, it is 
 
 sMat. ixii. 2»-33. iPliil L 2S, 21 tLiilct xxiii. 43. ili»]u KTi. 22, U. 
 
196 CONSEaiTENCEa OP DEATH. 
 
 presumed, are sufRcient ,to show what the voice of the 
 Bible is on the subject. 
 
 Q. III. If it be admitted that the soul exists after the 
 death of the body, and previous to the resurrection, 
 does it go immediately to its eternal destination ? 
 
 A. From the aspirations of the apostle Paul it would 
 seem that he expected nothing short of a state of per- 
 fect happiness immediately upon leaving the world. 
 " We are confident, I say, and willing, rather to be 
 absent from the body, and present with the Lord."a 
 With this agree the passages that were quoted in an- 
 swer to the former question : " I am in a straight betwixt 
 two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, 
 which is far better." From these expressions it is 
 apparent that if there be an intermediate state, it is 
 one in which the saints will enjoy the immediate pres- 
 ence of the Savior. On the other hand, the parable of 
 the rich man and Lazarus would lead us to believe 
 that the entrance of the wicked into a state of suffering 
 would be as immediate as that of the righteous to the 
 presence of the Lord. 
 
 Q. IV. If the righteous pass immediately to the pres- 
 ence of the Lord, and the wicked to the prison of hell, 
 will not the day of judgment occasion a partial suspen- 
 sion of happiness in the one case, and of misery in the 
 other ? 
 
 A. According to the general representation of the 
 Scriptures, mankind immediately at death enter upon a 
 state of retribution, nothing intervenes to affect the des- 
 tiny of the soul after death, previous to the judgment. 
 " It is appointed unto men once to die, and after that 
 the judgment."& Now if we suppose that the case of 
 every individual is known and decided instantly on his 
 entrance on the future world, and that the judgment 
 of the great^day will be a time when this decision will 
 
 a 2 Cor. V. ». 6Hel), U. 27. 
 
CONSEaUENCES OP DEATH. 197 
 
 be publicly declared, this seeming difficulty vanishes at 
 once. With regard to the coming of the saints from 
 heaven, and the wicked from the prison of hell, in order 
 to be judged, as we know little or nothing about local- 
 ity in the future world, and as the happiness of the one 
 class, and the misery of the other, do not depend on 
 place, it is a subject on which little can be suggested. 
 
 Q. V. What evidence have we that there will be a 
 resurrection of the dead ? 
 
 A. The doctrine of the resurrection is so explicitly 
 taught in the Scriptures, that few who believe them 
 ever call it in question. Although it is apparent that 
 if this doctrine be true, a future state must follow of 
 , course, yet unbelievers who attempt to disprove the lat- 
 ter rarely attack the arguments which are brought to 
 support the former. The only reason which can be 
 assigned for this is, the arguments in favor of the resur- 
 rection are so obviously decisive, that nothing can be 
 brought against them that bears the appearance of 
 plausibility. 
 
 The apostle Paul has undoubtedly taken the most 
 effectual method to prove it of which we can form any 
 conception. In the 15th chapter of his first Epistle to 
 the Corinthians he reasons upon this subject with great 
 clearness and strength. The only argument oh which 
 he relies, and which he plainly shows is decisive, is the 
 resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.a This reason- 
 ing, and these declarations of the apostle, as they show 
 that he firmly believed that the doctrine of a general 
 resurrection must stand or fall with the resurrection of 
 the Savior, if we admit that he was inspired, must place 
 the truth of this doctrine beyond all dispute. With 
 regard to the arguments that evince the resurrection of 
 Christ, as we have already examined them, (see pages 
 33 — 35,) and the limits of this work will not allow us 
 
 a V.rsM 12—28. 
 
198 CONSEaUENCES OF DEATH. 
 
 to repeat them, we must refer the reader, after we have 
 given a summary view of them, to that examination. 
 
 1. The absurd and contradictory account which was 
 given of the body of Christ by his enemies after it was 
 in their possession. Although it was for their interest, 
 if the account of his resurrection were a falsehood, to 
 expose it, and although they must have been, abundantly 
 able to do it, yet all the information they give concern- 
 ing the body is that his disciples came and stole it away. 
 We are here left to the alternative of believing either 
 the testimony of men asleep, brought to prove that a 
 band of Roman soldiers might all remain so sound asleep 
 that twelve timid men might elude them — roll away 
 from the door of the sepulchre a massy stone, and take, 
 away a dead body ; or, on the other hand, what our 
 Savior repeatedly predicted, what the soldiers them- 
 selves honestly confessed before they were bribed, what 
 the disciples were willing to attest at the risk of their 
 lives, when they could not have been deceived, and 
 what the apostles, whenever they were permitted to 
 preach, always placed in the front of their addresses 
 as that which they found it most easy irresistibly to sub- 
 stantiate. As another conclusive argument of the truth 
 of this fact, we may adduce the establishment of the 
 christian Sabbath. No person can tell how the obser- 
 vation of the first day of the week could ever have com- 
 menced, unless it had commenced at the time when the 
 fact existed which it is designed to commemorate. 
 The same remark is true in reference to the Lord's sup- 
 per. Should thejnquiry be made how the resurrection 
 of Christ proves the resurrection of the human race, the 
 answer is, it was considered conclusive evidence by 
 an inspired apostle, and it proves the Lord Jesus Christ 
 to have been a divine teacher, and as he taught the 
 doctrine of the general resurrection, his own was a 
 confirmation of its truth. 
 
C0NSEaUENCE3 OP DEATH. 199 
 
 We have now given a brief summary of the evidence 
 of the resurrection of our Savior. According to the 
 repeated declarations of the apostle, it is equally deci- 
 sive in proving the resurrection of all mankind. We 
 have also in proof ofthis point many plain and unequiv- 
 ocal declarations of Scripture. " Marvel not at this, 
 for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the 
 graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they 
 that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and 
 they that have done evil unto the resurrection of dam- 
 nation."a 
 
 Q. VI. Will mankind be raised vrith the same bodies 
 with which they leave the world ? 
 
 A. If by identity in this question be meant the same 
 particles of matter, the. Scriptures as well as common 
 sense decide it in the negative. " But some man will 
 say, how are the dead raised up ? and with what body 
 do they come ? Thou fool, that which thou sowest, is 
 not quickened, except it die ; and that which thou sow- 
 est thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bear 
 grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain : 
 but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to 
 every seed his own body."5 From the last sentence in 
 this passage, to every seed his own body, we are led to 
 'believe that although we are not to expect that the same 
 particles of matter will be raised, yet there will be in 
 some respects a sameness. From other passages of 
 Scripture it is evident that this identity will be sufficient 
 to enable us to recognize our former acquaintance, and 
 this is all that is necessary in order that the character 
 of men may be exhibited in the judgment day, and the 
 government of God vindicated. With regslrd to any 
 other identity, when we reflect on the changes that 
 matter may undergo in this world, the power of God, 
 and the fact that our bodies, when raised, are to be 
 
 a John T. 28, 29. See also 1 Cor. xr. SI— 65, an^ Rev. xx. 13. b 1 Cor. XT. 3S-a4. 
 
200 CONSEaUENCES OF DEATH. 
 
 spiritual, we must consider all inquiries on the subject 
 as fruitless and improper. On the whole, the doctrine 
 of the resurrection, like many others, must be a sourceof 
 unfailing comfort and support to the people of God, and 
 of fearful apprehensions to the impenitent and ungodly. 
 
 Q. VII. What evidence have we that there will be 
 a day of judgment ? 
 
 A. Evidence in proof of this may be derived both 
 from the light of nature and from the Scriptures. It 
 appears at first view, without reasoning upon the sub- 
 ject, necessary in order to make out entire a moral 
 system". If we are moral beings, it is natural to expect 
 that we shall be furnished with a rule of life or a law> 
 to which it is our duty to conform, and by which our 
 conduct should be governed. If we are furnished with 
 such a law, it seems equally natural to expect that we 
 should be called to an account, that our obedience or 
 disobedience may be known and justly rewarded. But 
 for a more conclusive argument we remark, 
 
 1. It is not easy to see how the character of God 
 may be vindicated, unless there is a day in which men 
 are to be judged according to their deeds. That there 
 is a diflference in the characters of men no one will 
 doubt. , That they are not rewarded in the present 
 life according to their characters is equally plain. 
 Some of the vilest characters, such as are guilty of the 
 greatest injustice in this world, as far as we can see, are 
 visited with but few afflictions or troubles in compari- 
 son with others whose characters are fair and upright, 
 and whose lives are devoted to usefulness. The an- 
 swer which our Savior gave to those who informed 
 him of the fate of some whose blood Pilate had mingled 
 with their sacrifices, is directly to this point. " Think 
 ye that those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam 
 fell, and plew them, were sinners abpv.e all men that 
 dwelt in Jerusalem ? I tell you nay ; but, except ye 
 
CONSEaUKNCES OF DEATH. 201 
 
 repent, ye shall all likewise perish."a Now if men are 
 not justly rewarded in the present life, nor in that 
 which is to come, how can we determine from the 
 government of Jehovah that he is better pleased with 
 virtue than with vice ? But it is unnecessary to bring 
 forward arguments from the light of nature, were they 
 ever so numerous, since the point is so plainly and un- 
 doubtedly established by the Scriptures.^ 
 
 The judgment day is one of those subjects on which 
 a writer can do but little if any thing more than barely 
 to show it to be a fact. So various and so unknown 
 to each other are the characters of men in this world, 
 and so much is depending on the decisions of that day, 
 that the imagination of every serious and reflecting 
 man, when he turns his mind upon it, must outrun the 
 pen of the readiest writer, and furnish him with con- 
 templations to which language can do but imperfect 
 justice. 
 
 Burge on the Atonement. Dwight't Theology. Butler's Analogy. Scotl'fi Bible. 
 
 a Luke %m. 4, S. 6 Mat. ixv. 31—33. xii. 36. 2 Cor. v. 10. Heb. ix. 27. KeT. 
 XX. 12. Jude 6. 
 
SECTION XV, 
 
 FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 Q. I. What evidence have we that impenitent sin- 
 ners will be punished in the future world ? 
 
 A. Were it not that men may be found who will, dis- 
 believe any doctrine that is opposed to their wishes, 
 however it may be supported with evidence, no argu- 
 ments would be necessary to show that if the Bible may 
 be relied on, the wicked will be punished in the future 
 world. If it were the sole intention of a man to see 
 how plain and prominent a doctrine of the scriptures he 
 might discredit in the minds of many, there is no one on 
 which he would be more likely to try his skill than the 
 doctrine in question. 
 
 The question now before us is not whether sinners 
 will be punished without end, but whether they will be 
 punished at alL 
 
 1. The first argument we shall adduce in proof that 
 they will be punished, is the fact that they cannot be 
 happy in the enjoyment of God without a change of 
 heart, and the certainty that all men do not experience 
 this change in the present life. That sinners must be 
 born again before they can be reconciled to God, is 
 what we have already repeatedly established, (See 
 pp. 113, 123, 147.) It is sufficient here to remark that 
 the happiness of heaven, it is acknowledged by all, con- 
 sists in an inward and perfect delight in spiritual and 
 holy objects, and that for such objects sinners by nature 
 have not the least relish. There is no possibility of 
 avoiding the conclusion that they are miserable in the 
 future world, only by saying that this change is expe- 
 rienced at death. This opinion we have already shown 
 
PUTURB PUNI3HMBNT. 203 
 
 cannot be reconciled with the scriptures. (See p. 1 37.) 
 It only remains to be shown that all men are not bora 
 again in the present world. If any thing can be deter- 
 mined concerning the reality of regeneration from the 
 conduct of men. it is equaUy as certain that many die 
 unregenerate. What arguments do we need to con- 
 vince us that he who dies an open and bitter infidel, or 
 a habitual blasphemer, or a wilful and deliberate mur- 
 derer, does not act under the influence of a new heart ? 
 If we have any evidence that the carnal heart is " en- 
 mity against God," we have the same that with all this 
 enmity many are overtaken by death. We are brought 
 unavoidably to this result, that such as die in impeni- 
 tence are miserable in the future world. 
 
 2. If the wicked suffer no punishment beyond the 
 grave, it will be impossible to exculpate the writers of 
 the Bible from the charge of designing to mislead its 
 readers. If all the wicked, upon their leaving this 
 world, are to be received immediately to heaven as cer- 
 tainly as the righteous, it would seem, if the Bible is 
 designed to be our guide, we should find it as evidently 
 revealed. Have mankind been uniformly as liable to 
 believe, from the scriptures, that the incorrigible sinner 
 is. as fair a candidate for heaven as the saint? This 
 question need only be suggested, to furnish its own an- 
 swer. Neither can it be pretended that this difference 
 is occasioned by the nature of the subject. To be sure, 
 it is sometimes said that the doctrine of future punish- 
 ment is popular. But is it popular to inform men that 
 unless they forsake their sin, however pleasing it may 
 be to their hearts, it will conduct them inevitably to a 
 world of wretchedness and despair ? If it be, it 
 would be a curious question for the moral philosopher 
 to tell, why, unless it is because it is so plainly taught 
 in the Bible, that to deny it is to wage open war with 
 every dictate of reason and judgment. 
 
204 FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 The truth is that men will never believe in a senti- 
 ment so unpleasant to the natural heart as this, unless 
 the scriptures were so plain and unequivocal ih support 
 of it, that they could not be honestly believed while that 
 was rejected. How often| as the Bible is generally 
 understood, is this subject suggested ? Such declara- 
 tions as the following cannot be understood upon hon- 
 est principles, if this doctrine be not true : " These 
 shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the 
 righteous into hfe eternal."a " For wide is the gate, 
 and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and 
 many there be which go in thei'eat."6 If the men by 
 whom these passages were penned had no belief in a 
 future punishment, they must have known that they 
 would mislead the honest reader. The word hell, and 
 other words that as clearly imply a state of punishment 
 beyond the grave, are used more than fifty times in the 
 New Testament only. If no punishment be meant by 
 these expriessions, of what possible use can be such a 
 Bible ? To suppose that the meaning or opinion of the 
 writers is so different from what their language would 
 naturally intimate, is a more bold and impious attack 
 on the character of God than an open rejection of the 
 whole of revelation. It would clearly and undeniably 
 show that he had given the scriptures for the purpose 
 of misleading or of deceiving mankind. 
 
 3. If sinners are not punished in the future world, in 
 many of the dealings of divine providence God has 
 shown himself to be the friend to sin and an enemy to 
 holiness. To prove this we need only advert to the 
 destruction of the old world, of Sodom and Gomorrah. 
 That the inhabitants who perished with the flood were 
 extremely wicked there can be no doubt. Noah is said 
 to be a just person, and a preacher of righteousness.c 
 Now if there be no punishment in the future world, to 
 
 « Mac. xiv. 46. i Mat. vii. 13. c 2 Pat. ii. S— 8. 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 205 
 
 which of these characters has the Almighty manifested 
 the greatest kindness ? On this supposition how could 
 he manifest greater kindness to those guilty wretches 
 than he has done in their destruction from the earth 1 
 He has taken them by a sudden exit from all their tsrials 
 and all their sins, and has virtually said to them, "Well 
 done good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy 
 of thy Lord." On the other hand, Noah, as a reward 
 for his faithfulness, and opposition to their ungodliness, 
 was preserved from the flood that he might experi- 
 ence a while longer the toils of life while his ungodly 
 neighbors with whom like Lot his " righteous soul had 
 been vexed from day to day," were already entered 
 into the joy of their Lord ? The same remarks it is 
 plain are applicable in reference to the destruction of 
 Sodom and the cities of the plain. 
 
 4. It is clearly represented in the Bible that there 
 will be a separation between the righteous and the 
 wicked alter the resurrection. "When the Son of 
 Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels 
 with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory ; 
 And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he 
 shall separate them one from another as a shepherd 
 divideth his sheep from the goats."a " Marvel not at 
 this ; for the hour is coming in the which all that are 
 in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth, 
 they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, 
 and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of 
 damnation."^ " Blessed are they that do his command- 
 ments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and 
 may enter in through the gates into the city. For 
 without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, 
 and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth 
 and maketh a lie."c The city which is here nientioned 
 is uniformly admitted to be heaven, the future residence 
 
 aMattxXT. 31, 33. 4 Jshn T. 2S. 29. c B«T. zzii. 14, 16. 
 10 
 
20G FUTUEE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 of the just; but that some will be excluded from it, 
 nothing can be more certain^ On the whole, whoever 
 examines the Scriptures with an honest and attentive 
 mind, will find them to contain more unequivocal dec- 
 larations in support of this doctrine than that the righte- 
 ous will be received to happiness, and of course, so far as 
 they are believed, this doctrine will be received as truth. 
 
 Q. II. Will the punishment of the wicked be endless ? 
 
 A. As the Bible is our only guide on every question 
 that relates to the future world, and as this is a question 
 in which we have an important interest, it ought to be 
 our object to determine simply what the Bible says on 
 the subject. While men are influenced by their feel- 
 ings more than by reason or revelation, they decide at 
 once that this doctrine is inconsistent with the character 
 of God. Many go so far as to affirm with confidence 
 that it would be unjust for God to suffer his creatures 
 to have an existence, if he knew that they would render 
 themselves eternally miserable. To answer the ques- 
 tion before us, it will be our first object to prove that 
 endless punishment is just. 
 
 1. Endless punishment is threatened by the divine 
 law. By turning to what has been said on the penalty 
 of the law, the reader will see that this point has been 
 already established. It was shown that the penalty of 
 the law was eternal death, and that only. As we have 
 not room to repeat the arguments upon this point, and 
 as it is a point which has an important bearing on the 
 subject of future punishment, we must earnestly request 
 the reader to examine what has been said upon it, 
 before he comes to a decision on the question before us. 
 As an additional argument, we would remark, that if 
 such a penalty he not just, then it would not be just for 
 God to permit the sinner to continue in his present 
 course. It is admitted by all, that if mgn continue in 
 their sins, they will continue to be miserable. It must 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 207 
 
 be acknowledged that God is not under obligation, on 
 the ground of justice^ to furnish them with those favors, 
 from which they derive the little happiness they now 
 enjoy, and without which they would be far more miser- 
 able than they now are. If he' be, they are not sin- 
 ners, and the law has no demand against them. It 
 must also be acknowledged that God is not under obli- 
 gation to convert them. If he be, their salvation can- 
 not be of grace. If their conversion be what they have 
 a right to demand on the footing of justice, no one who 
 understands the meaning of the word will contend that 
 it is of grace. It will then unavoidably follow, thai God 
 may justly leave impenitent sinners to their own course, 
 and may justly deprive, them of the mercies of life; 
 and what would then be wanting to make them eter- 
 nally miserable 1 
 
 Q. III. Can a finite being, in a finite period of time, 
 incur sufficient criminality to deserve an infinite punish- 
 ment ? 
 
 A. To decide that it cannot be done, is to decide, as 
 we have already seen, in direct opposition to the de- 
 cision of the Almighty. Besides, we greatly deceive 
 ourselves, if we imagine that the guilt of sin is to be 
 measured by the capacity of the sinner, and the time 
 in which it is committed. By what governments were 
 punishments ever inflicted according to the ability of 
 the offender ? To be capable of obeying a law is all 
 the ability that is taken into the account in estimating 
 the degrees of guilt, and that to determine not the de- 
 grees of guilt, but whether it exists. Where this is 
 possessed, the only thing by which guilt is ever mea- 
 sured is the importance of the law that is violated. 
 Some crimes are punished with death, some with a tem- 
 porary imprisonment, and some with a trifling fine. 
 This diflference is in no case occasioned by the differ- 
 ence in the capacity of ofienders, but invariably by 
 
208 FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 the law that is broken. The law of God is in every 
 respect infinite. The least violation of it, if it were 
 continued, would produce an infinite evil. The least 
 violation of it involves the principle of disobedience, 
 and this need only be extended, to ruin the universe. 
 Upon this principle it is easy to understand the declara- 
 tion of the apostle James : " Whosoever shall keep 
 the whole law, and yet oflfend in one point, he is guilty 
 of all."a If we judge then, by the importance of the 
 law, as in every other case, sin must be considered 
 infinite. 
 
 There is another principle, in which all are agreed, 
 which, if applied to the subject before us, will bring us 
 to a similar decision. The principle to which I refer 
 is this : The criminality of a man's misconduct is not 
 to he estimated by what he accomplishes, but by his inten- 
 tions. If a man intend to take the life of his neighbor, 
 and in making the attempt is defeated, he is considered 
 by every sober man a murderer. Perfectly according 
 with this is the declaration of the Savior : " Whosoever 
 looketh on a woman, to lust after her, hath committed 
 adultery with her already in his heart."6 Now what 
 is the nature of the sinner's intentions when he disre- 
 gards the authority of God ? He proclaims, as far as 
 his influence extends, that the commands of God ought 
 not to be obeyed. If a spirit like his were to prevail, 
 it would ruin the kingdom of God. The same scenes 
 of discord and confusion which we witness in our world 
 would be witnessed in heaven, and through the whole 
 empire of Jehovah. The sinner is not to be praised that 
 he is unable to give his opinions and his spirit this ex- 
 tensive spread. He would do it if it were in his power. 
 When he murmurs at divine providence because his 
 plans are interrupted, were he able he would unhinge 
 the order of the whole universe. Men, as limited in 
 
 a JamM ii. 10. b Mat. T. 23. 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 209 
 
 knowledge as they may be, are capable of having de- 
 sires, which, were they gratified, would wrest the scep- 
 tre of universal government from the hands of the Al- 
 mighty, and consign the universe to everlasting anar- 
 chy and confusion. Now if a finite being be capable 
 of despising the authority, the wisdom and the benevo- 
 lence of God, and if his criminality be according to the 
 desires of his heart, without any regard to his power, 
 as in every other case, what is there wanting to make 
 his sin infinite ? 
 
 That men are capable of committing sins, which ift 
 the opinion of their Judge deserve an infinite punish- 
 ment, is evident from the threatenings of the Bible. 
 " These shall go away into everlasting punishment."a 
 " Who shall be punished with everksting destruction 
 from the presence of the Lord."ft " Where their worm 
 dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."c " And the 
 smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and 
 eveT."d " But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy 
 Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eter- 
 nal damnation."e These passages are cited merely to 
 show the character of the threatenings of God against 
 sin. It will certainly be granted that he knows better 
 than his creatures what punishment sin, as committed 
 against his law, justly deserves. How far these repre- 
 sentations are to be understood in a figurative, and how 
 far in a literal sense, is a question that is wholly foreign 
 to the subject. If metaphors are used by the Spirit of 
 inspiration, they are used to exhibit truth ; but if they 
 represent truth to be more fearful and jippalling than 
 it is, what can it be called but deception 1 
 
 Q.. IV. What evidence have we that the words ever- 
 lasting, forever and ever, and eternal, are used in the 
 Scriptures to mean endless ? 
 
 o Mat. iir. 46. i2Tlies. L9. c Mark ox. 44, 4S, 48. dEey. »T. 11. e Mark Hi. 
 28. 
 
210 FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 A. As we have not room for many remarks upon 
 this point here, we shall content ourselves by giving 
 the reader the result of one of the most careful and 
 able examinations which the subject has ever under- 
 gone. President Edwards the younger has been at 
 pains to examine the words from which these are trans- 
 lated, throughout the Bible, and has come to the follow- 
 ing result : The word aiuv, from which everlasting 
 and eternal are generally rendered, when governed by 
 the preposition sis, is used in the New Testament six- 
 ty-one times. In six of these instances it refers to fu- 
 ture punishment, and in the other fifty-five it must, 
 from the nature of the subjects about which it is em- 
 ployed, mean a duration that is endless. The reader 
 is left to judge how clearly impossible it is that the 
 word should be used to imply invariably a duration 
 that is endless when employed about any other subject, 
 and still that it should mean a limited duration when 
 applied to this. A careful examination of this subject, 
 it is believed, will convince every honest mind that 
 when the words ever lasting, for ever, &,c, are used in a 
 limited sense, they are used metaphorically, and that 
 their meaning, when it is to be understood literally, 
 must be endless. It is often said in common conversa- 
 tion that a slow man is forever doing but little ; such 
 a man is forever talking 5 such a man's fame is immor- 
 tal, &c. It is not intended in cases like these that these 
 words should be understood literally. The same may 
 be said of their use in many passages of Scripture. 
 The mountains, the priesthood of Aaron, and many 
 other things are said to be everlasting. What can be 
 more evident than that these words are not used in 
 this figurative manner when applied to future punish- 
 ment ? As the word is used to signify the duration of 
 happiness with the righteous as well as the duration 
 of misery with the wicked, it would be impossible to 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 211 
 
 tell why we might not as well understand- it to be 
 used metaphorically in one case as in the other. If 
 these words be so understood in both cases, we have 
 no proof that the happiness of the saints -will be eternal. 
 
 The same words are used in many passages to ex- 
 press the duration of the existence of God. Besides 
 the threatenings of God are exhibited in other words, 
 the meaning of which cannot be mistaken : " But who- 
 soever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be 
 forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world 
 to come." a " Where their worm dieth not, and the fire 
 is not quenched."6 They " shall suddenly be destroyed, 
 and that without remedy."c These passages, together 
 with the reasons which have been offered, must be suf- 
 ficient to show that eternal punishment is threatened ; 
 and if it be threatened, it must be just. 
 
 Another evidence tha.t endless punishment is not un- 
 just may be inferred from the salvation of the righteous. 
 No one it is believed, would contend that the demerit 
 of sin is not to be taken into the account, in estimating 
 the grace that is displayed in salvation. It is uniformly 
 believed, and universally represented in the Bible, that 
 the salvation of the righteous will be eternal. But if 
 it be eternal, and be wholly of grace, then so far as 
 the demerit of sin can be inferred from the grace that 
 is promised, so far it is evident that justice requires a 
 punishment that is endless. A man may be eternally 
 saved, it is true, from the punishment of a day ; but it 
 would be manifestly improper to call such a salvation 
 eternal. " The wages of sin is death, but the gift of 
 God is eternal liieJ'd In this passage the gift of God 
 is to be estimated in his saving the sinner from a death 
 that is placed in opposition to a life which is eternal. 
 To conclude our remarks on this argument, we cannot 
 conceive how we can be " saved from wrath to come 
 
 a Mat. zii. 32, t Mark iz. 46. c Pror. xxiz. 1. d Bora. vi. 23. 
 
212 FUTUKE PUNISHMEIfT. 
 
 through Jesus,"a if eternal death be not the demand of 
 divine justice. If it be a punishment that is limited, 
 however long it may be, vphen that period has passed 
 awayj the righteous can no longer be said to be saved 
 from wrath to come. 
 
 We have now proved, it would seem, to the satisfac- 
 tion of all who mean to take the Bible for their guide, 
 that endless punishment will not be unjust ; and in do- 
 ing it the reader will j)erceive that we have cited many 
 passages of scripture which prove also that it will be 
 inflicted on some of our race. 
 
 As another evidence that the impenitent will be pun- 
 ished without end, they are represented in the Bible as 
 being in the future world without hope. " The hope of 
 unjust men perisheth."6 " The hypocrite's hope shall 
 perish."c " Their hope shall be like the giving up of 
 the ghost."tf If the wicked have the promise of being 
 released, after suffering in the prison of hell for any 
 finite period of tirrie, it cannot be said that they are 
 without hope. 
 
 Another argument in proof of this point is derived 
 from the use of such terms as lost, perished, destroyed, 
 &LC. as they are used in the Bible. " If our gospel be 
 hid, it is hid to them that are lost."e " None of them 
 is lost but the son of perdition.'y " The preaching of 
 the cross is to them that perish foolishness.''^- " For 
 we are unto God a sweet savor in Christ, in them that 
 are saved and in them that perish.A "And with all de- 
 ceivableness of uprightness in them that perish."z 
 " He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, 
 shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without reme- 
 dy."A: -'But the w'ay of the ungodly shall perish."/ 
 " When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all 
 the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they shall 
 
 alThes.l.lO. 6 Prov. xi. 7. cJobviii.13. dj9bxi.2a Prnv. xiv. 32. e2.Cor 
 iy. 3, /Johnxvii. 12. j 1 Cor. i. Iti. A 2 Cor. ii. IS, 16. > 2 Thes. ii. 10. AProY. 
 ixii. 1. /Pa. i. 6. 
 
PUTTJEE PUWISHMENT. 213 
 
 be destroyed forever."a We cannot conceive how 
 expressions as definite as these can be so explained 
 as to admit of any hope of future restoration, without 
 doing violence to the Bible. There is but one method 
 that we have ever seen, by which those who admit the 
 immortality of the soul attempt to evade the force of 
 the argument drawn from these passages. It is said 
 by some that to perish, or be destroyed, means only to 
 have the body of sins destroyed. The reader is now 
 requested to take this explanation and insert it in the 
 place of the words lost, perished, destroyed, &c. as 
 they are used in the passages we have cited. This 
 method of testing an explanation, it is perfectly obvi- 
 ous, is fair and unobjection^le. " The preaching of 
 the cross is to them that have the body of their sins de- 
 stroyed foolishness." " For we are unto God a sweet 
 savor in Christ, in them that are saved and them that 
 have their body of sin destroyed." "He that being often 
 reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly have his 
 sins destroyed and that without eemedy." " God is 
 not slack concerning his promise, as some men count 
 slackness, but is long suffering to us ward, not willing 
 that any should have their body of sin destroyed, but 
 that all should come to repentance.''^ " But these, as 
 natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed, 
 speak evil of things that they understand not, and shall 
 utterly have the body of their sins destroyed in their 
 own corruption."c " Except ye repent, ye shall all 
 likewise have your sins destroyed."d 
 
 Again, the punishment of the wicked, in point of du- 
 ration, is often placed in the Bible against the happi- 
 ness of the righteous. The same word is used to ex- 
 press the duration in both cases in many passages of 
 scripture. To the meaning of the word we have al- 
 
 aPs. xcii. 7, 6 2Pet. iii. 9. c2FeLii. 12. d Luke xiii. 3. See also Ps. zixrii. 
 20. Ixxiii. 27. Prev. x. 23. Pa. cxiv. 20. ProT. i. 32. li. 3. xiii. 13, 20. 
 
 10* 
 
214 FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 ready attended ; but the argument we wish to exhibit 
 here we would rest on a different consideration. 
 
 It is universally acknowledged that the happiness of 
 the righteous will be eternal. Now if the same word 
 be used to express the duration in one case as in the 
 other, and if they are often placed one against the other 
 in the form of antithesis, how can an honest reader 
 avoid being deceived, if the extent of duration intended 
 be as different as finite from infinite ? That the subject 
 is often exhibited in this manner in the Scriptures the 
 reader will see by consulting the references.a 
 
 Again, the wicked are represented as having their 
 portion in this life. In the parable of the rich man and 
 Lazarus, Abraham is represented as addressing the rich 
 man in the following language : " Son, remember that 
 thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things."6 De- 
 liver my soul," said the Psalmist in solemn prayer to 
 God, " from the wicked which is thy sword, from men 
 which are thy hand, O Lord ; from men of the world, 
 who have their portion in this life."c How can it be 
 said with truth that they receive their portion in this 
 life, if the time shall ever arrive when they shall be ad- 
 mitted to heaven ? 
 
 Again, the door of heaven will be forever shut against 
 the wicked. At a certain time our Savior was accosted 
 with the following question : " Lord are there few 
 that be saved V Although this question is not directly 
 whether all mankind will be saved, still, a plain and 
 honest answer to this will as conclusively decide that. 
 If the Savior had answered, and said explicitly that hut 
 few are saved, the notion that ail men will be saved 
 would have been, in the opinion of the candid, forever 
 put down. But is not the answer which he has given 
 more full and decisive to this very point, in the mind 
 
 a Mat. XIV. 46. Rom. vi. 23. 1 C»r. i. 18. 8 Cor. ii. ii, 16. Kom, 11. 7—9. 
 b Xaka xrL 2S. c Fa xrii. 13, 14. 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 215 
 
 of every conscientious reader, than it would have been 
 on that supposition ? " Strive to enter in at the strait 
 gate ; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, 
 and shall not be able." If it be said that the Savior 
 means any thing by the phrase strait gate but the gate 
 that leads to heaven, then he did not design to answer 
 the question. We have then as much evidence that 
 some men will not enter the gate that leads to heaven as 
 that the Savior designed to answer the question, and 
 not deceive him who put it. Wherein does this answer 
 fall short of being substantially a decision of the ques- 
 tion whether all men will be saved ? That the Savior 
 meant it should be so understoood is plain from what 
 immediately follows. " When once the master of the 
 house is risen up and hath shut to the door, and ye be- 
 gin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying. 
 Lord, Lord, open unto us ; and he shall answer and 
 say unto you, I know you not whence ye are. * * 
 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye 
 shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom 
 of God, and you yourselves thrust out." a 
 
 If the reader has still a doubt on this subject, let him 
 answer to himself the following question : "If the ques- 
 tion were put to a firm believer in the salvation of all 
 men whether he believed that but/ew would be saved, 
 would his answer, if he were honest, cori'espond with 
 that of the Savior ? He does not tell us that hxxt few 
 will be saved in comparison with the whole, but he tells 
 us as definitely as words will admit that some will not 
 be saved. 
 
 Still more decisive, if possible, are some declarations 
 which are found in the last chapter of Revelations. 
 After a clear description of the " new Jerusalem," or 
 the '■ new heavens and new earth," we are told that 
 " without are dogs, and sorcerers and whoremongers, 
 
 a Luka xlii. 2S— 23. 
 
216 FUTIJRE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth 
 and maketh a lie." Then the time will have come 
 when the voice of the Redeemer shall declare, " He 
 that is unjust let him be unjust still, and he which is filthy- 
 let him be filthy still, and he that is righteous let him 
 be righteous still."a 
 
 Again, some are said to be already suffering a pun- 
 ishment that is eternal. " Even as Sodom and Gomor- 
 rah; and the cities about them, giving themselves over 
 to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set 
 forth for an example, suffering the .vengeance of eternal 
 fire."b We have cited this passage not only because 
 it is obviously decisive on the subject, but with a view 
 to notice some explanations, by which many attempt 
 to evade its force. It is said that the fire may be eter- 
 nal, though all men be restored from it, and admitted 
 to the kingdom of heaven. But would it be possible 
 to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire in an hour, or in 
 any period that is not eternal ? Does not its duration 
 constitute an important part of its vengeance ? It is 
 said by others that this fire is the fire of God's love. If 
 to suffer vengeance, and to suffer it "as an example to 
 those who afterwards should live ungodly,"c mean 
 nothing more than to experience the love of God, every 
 attempt to settle any question from the Bible must be 
 given up forever. Are sinners to be told that if they 
 will not refrain from their sins, they shall experience 
 eternally the love of God ? If this interpretation be 
 admitted, it is plain that words may mean everything, 
 any thing, or nothing. 
 
 The last argument which will be offered in proof of 
 this doctrine is drawn from its effects, both on its preach- 
 ers and their hearers. If these effects are invariably 
 similar to those that followed the preaching of the apos- 
 tles, it will amount to an unanswerable argument in 
 
 a Est. xxii. 11, IS. b Jude 7. c 2 Put. ii. 6. 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 217 
 
 favor of its truth. It is much easier, by artful and 
 insinuating evasions, to do avsray, with such as are igno- 
 rant, and yet candid, the force of those arguments d r awn 
 from the direct passages we have cited, than those 
 which are drawn from the effects we have named. A 
 conscientious belief that such as remain impenitent will 
 experience an endless punishment, must produce effects 
 which are in some respects peculiar. If the apostles 
 were believers in this doctrine, it is natural to expect 
 a corresponding line of conduct. It is but rational to 
 suppose that it would lead them to a vigilance and a 
 perseverance which would not be expected from others. 
 Such was the fact. Hear the appeal of the apostle 
 Paul to the Ephesian elders, " Therefore watch, and 
 remember that for the space of three years I ceased 
 not to warn every one, night and day, and with tears." a 
 Would not this be strange language, and strange con- 
 duct, in one who did not believe the doctrine in ques- 
 tion ? It certainly cannot be denied but that we find 
 many at the present day who exhibit a zeal and perse- 
 verance which bear a strong resemblance to this, but 
 they are not among those who reject this doctrine. 
 These are not the men who are willing, like the apos- 
 tles, to sacrifice every earthly comfort, and to count 
 not even life itself dear, that they may testify the gospel 
 of the grace of God.6 
 
 The argument is still more convincing if we look at 
 the effects of this doctrine on the hearers of the apos- 
 tles. They were often filled with fear, and were led 
 to cry out, " What shall we do to be saved "c Was 
 there ever an instance — is it possible there ever can be 
 an instance, where that preaching, in which the doc- 
 trine of endless punishment was denied, was the means 
 of producing effects like these ? This argument may 
 be viewed in another point of light. The apostles them- 
 
 oAcUns:. 31. b Mia XX. HA. f AcU ii. 37. xvi. 30. 
 
218 FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 selves considered these effects, especially when they 
 resulted in conversion, as undeniable evidence that the 
 Holy Spirit accompanied them, and gave success to 
 their labors.a Considered in this light, these effects 
 are the testimony of the Holy Ghost to the truth and 
 importance of this doctrine. It is to be expected that 
 the process of conversion, like every thing else, will be 
 counterfeited ; still, it is true in multitudes of instances 
 that God has set his seal to the truth of this doctrine, 
 by making it the instrument of powerful and lasting 
 effects on the hearts of men. 
 
 We have now given a brief exhibition of the princi- 
 pal arguments by which the doctrine of future punish- 
 ment is supported ; and if this doctrine be not support- 
 ed, it is not vain or dogmatic to say that no doctrine 
 can be proved from the Bible. 
 
 Q. V. Are there not some passages of Scripture 
 which speak of a future restoration of the wicked from 
 the prison of hell ? 
 
 There are passages which it is thought by many con- 
 tain promises of this character. To some of these 
 passages the attention of the reader has already been 
 called. (See question whether the present is our only 
 state of probation.) Another passage which is often 
 cited inproof of this point may be found in the prophe- 
 cy of Ezekiel. Speaking of ancient Israel, it is said, 
 " When I shall bring again the captivity of Sodom and her 
 daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daugh- 
 ters, then will I bring again the captivity of thy captives, 
 in the midst of them."6 This passage, so far from be- 
 ing a promise, is one of the most fearful threatenings 
 in the whole Bible. The destiny of Sodom is recorded 
 in other places. It was uniformly considered as given 
 over to remediless destruction.c To be convinced that 
 this was designed as a threatening, we need only look 
 
 a A£bi zr. 4, 7, e, 12. t Kzek. zvt. SS, 6S, &•. « Juda 7, and 2 Pit. U. B. 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 219 
 
 at the context : "As I live, saith the Lord, Sodom thy 
 sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou 
 hast done. * * Neither hath Samaria committed 
 half thine abominations." Here is a comparison be- 
 tween the sin of Jerusalem and that of Sodom and Sa- 
 maria ; and the result is, the sins of Jerusalem were 
 far the most aggravated. This, it must appear, is a 
 singular reason for giving them a promise of eternal 
 restoration to his favor. " Thou also which hast judged 
 thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins which 
 thou hast committed more abominable than they ; yea, 
 be confounded in that thou hast justified thy sisters.' 
 Then he introduces the passage in question : "When 
 I shall bring again,"&c. "When thy sister Sodom 
 and her daughters shall return to their former estate, 
 and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their 
 former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return 
 to your former estate." This declaration amounts 
 very obviously to the following : You have uniformly 
 considered Sodom as consigned to hopeless ruin ; but 
 your sins are far greater than hers, and I will visit you 
 with calamities from which you will not recover till 
 Sodom is restored to her former estate. When Sod- 
 om, whose ruin is proverbially hopeless, shall be re- 
 stored to her former state, then, and not till then, may 
 you expect to be restored. Another evidence that 
 these declarations were designed as threatenings will 
 be seen in the sixtieth verse of the same chapter : 
 " Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee 
 in the days of thy youth ; then thou shalt remember 
 thy ways and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive 
 thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger." This un- 
 questionably contains a promise, and from the particle 
 nevertheless it must be plain that what had gone be- 
 fore was a threatening. This particle can be used 
 only where the sense is designed to be changed. The 
 
220 FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 promise contained in the verse last quoted evidently 
 exhibits the following sentiment : Nevertheless, though 
 I visit you in your present generations with these fear- 
 ful and fatal judgments, I will not forget the covenant 
 that I made with your fathers to bring in the Jews in the 
 latter day, with the fullness of the Gentiles. The con- 
 version of the Gentiles is what we are to understand 
 by their being received as the sisters of the Jews. 
 When they are admitted to the same Church, and are 
 considered as belonging to the same family, this pro- 
 mise will be fulfilled. It is now left to the reader to 
 judge whether any support can be derived to the doc- 
 trine of final restoration from this passage. Indeed, if 
 the whole for which the advocates of this opinion con- 
 tend were granted — if Jerusalem and Sodom should 
 be recovered to their former state, what would that 
 amount to toward a universal restoration ? It would 
 not only fail of amounting to any thing like a restora- 
 tion, but is in itself impossible. This will be shown in 
 our remarks on another passage that is often brought 
 to prove the same doctrine. 
 
 " Whom the heavens must receive until the times of 
 the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by 
 the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world 
 began. "a The prophets have foretold that every thing 
 shall be brought into subjection to the government of 
 God ; and in this way the harmony and regularity of 
 the primeval state will be restored. This is undoubt- 
 edly what is meant by the restitution in the passage 
 above cited. Such a restitution will be brought about 
 when all the enemies of God will be no longer allowed 
 to disturb his kingdon, but will be confined to the prison 
 of hell. Then God will have " put all his enemies un- 
 der his feet," and there shall be nothing that shall be 
 allowed to disturb or annoy in all his holy mountain. 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. ,221 
 
 Q. VI. Are there not some passages of Scripture 
 "which seem to support the doctrine that all men will be 
 saved ? 
 
 A. Some passages, if we look at them without any 
 reference to their connection, seem, it is true, to sup- 
 port this doctrine. And it is equally true that there is 
 no doctrine so absurd that it cannot be supported in 
 the same way. The Bible is to be read and understood 
 as that which is consistent with itself, and of course, 
 in determining the meaning of almost any passage, 
 recourse must be had to its connection. Many of 
 those passages which are thought to support this doc- 
 trine are promises made to the saints, and the writers 
 of the Bible in addressing them have made use of such 
 terms as us, every, all, &.c. " God hath not appointed 
 MS to wrath."a " Every man's work shall be made 
 manifest, &c. * * If any man's work shall be burn- 
 ed, he shall suffer loss ; but he himself shall be saved, yet 
 so as by fire."6 In the first of these verses, by the term 
 us the apostle undoubtedly referred to believers, as 
 every person must be convinced who will examine the 
 connection. By the expression every man in the sec- 
 ond he means to be understood preachers of the gos- 
 pel, such as are the servants of God, but have more or 
 less errors. The whole course of his reasoning in this 
 passage shows beyond all question that this is his 
 meaning. Again, " God is n6t slack concerning his 
 promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suf- 
 fering to us ward, not willing that any sh;)uld perish, 
 but that all should come to repentance."c This pas- 
 sage is often cited to show that all men will- be saved ; 
 but the reader must see that' the apostle meant the 
 same by the word all as by us in the foregoibg sen- 
 tence, and by this he must be convinced that the apos- 
 tle referred to his brethren. But if this be doubted, it 
 
 a 1 Tbes. t. 9. bl Cor. iii. 13—19. c 2 Pet, iii. 9. 
 
222 FUTUKE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 •will be seen that the passage proves only that God is 
 ■willing that all should be saved, a sentiment that is no 
 doubt supported by the whole Bible. As a thing in 
 itself, God is willing that all should be saved, but we 
 can no more infer from his willingness that they will be 
 saved, than we can infer from the fact that he is willing 
 that all should be holy that this is the present character of 
 all men. As we have not room to examine every pas- 
 sage that might be thought favorable to the doctrine of 
 universal salvation, we have quoted the foregoing, mere- 
 ly as a specimen, to show how phrases are often per- 
 verted by the manner and the purpose for which they 
 are quoted. For impenitent sinners to appropriate 
 these passages to their own case, as promises made to 
 them, and hang their everlasting salvation upon them, 
 is absurd and dangerous. A man might as well break 
 the seal from a letter which he knew was directed to 
 another, and take possession of the contents, because 
 he supposed them to be valuable, as to depend on pro- 
 mises, however free and merciful they might be, which 
 were made to a character entirely different from that 
 which he sustains. That the word all is frequently 
 used in a limited sense, may be seen by consulting the 
 references.a /■ 
 
 Another passage which is thought by many to sup- 
 port this doctrine is the following : " For as in Adam 
 all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive."& It is so 
 perfectly plain that the apostle refers in this passage to 
 the resurrection, and that only, it is a matter of sur- 
 prise that it should ever be quoted on any other sub- 
 ject. " But now is Christ risen from the dead and be- 
 come the first fruits of them that slept ; for since by man 
 came death, by man came also the resurrection of the 
 dead." These verses immediately precede the one in 
 question, and the one that follows is if possible still more 
 
 a Mat. iii. 8. Mark i. 6. Col. i. 6. b\ Cor. xv. 22 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 238 
 
 definite : " But evefy man in his own order, Christ the 
 first fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's, at his com- 
 ing." Now is it not manifestly absurd to suppose that 
 there is an order in salvation, and that Christ is in any 
 sense the first that is saved ? " Afterwards they that 
 are Christ's, at his coming." This passage very plainly 
 intimates that there will be some who will not belong 
 to Christ ; and in what order such shall be saved it must 
 be impossible to tell. 
 
 Another passage which is thought by many to prove 
 this doctrine reads thus : " Who will have all men to 
 be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the 
 truth."a From this passage it is obvious that God does 
 as certainly will, that all men should be brought to the 
 knowledge of the truth, as that all men should be saved. 
 This however is not accomplished. Besides, there is 
 a sense in which it is true that God does will the sal- 
 vation of all men, and yet his willing it in that sense 
 will not secure the salvation of one. To show the 
 truth of this remark, we will cite some other passages, 
 which evidently contain a similar sentiment : " For I 
 have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith 
 the Lord."6 From this declaration it must be seen 
 that some sinners actually die, and yet their death in 
 one sense is not pleasing to God. If it be against his 
 pleasure, it is in the same sense against his will. The 
 same sentiment is exhibited in the following passage : 
 " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thod that killest the prophets, 
 and stonest them that are sent unto thee ; how often 
 would I have gathered thy children together, even as 
 a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye 
 would not."c 
 
 Here is an event, the existence of which our Savior 
 as really willed as he willed the salvation of all men, 
 and yet by the depravity of men its existence was pre- 
 
 a 1 Tim. il. 4. b Ezek. xriii. 32. e Mat. zziii. 37. 
 
224 FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 vented. " How often would I have gathered thy 
 children, &c. and ye would not." If it should be said 
 that he will gather them hereafter, the argument is not 
 affected by this evasion in the least. The declaration 
 of the Savior is in the past tense, " How often would I 
 have gathered thee." It is impossible to evade the con- 
 clusion that there is a sense in which the will of the 
 Savior was prevented. There is a distinction up- 
 on this subject which we must understand and adopt, 
 before we can understand the Bible, or show how 
 the providence of God may be consistent with his char- 
 acter. To this distinction we have already alluded. 
 (See p. 72.) The distinction to which we refer is one 
 we often have occasion to adopt in the common con- 
 cerns of life. An event may be pleasing when viewed 
 in itself, and displeasing when viewed in connection 
 with other things ; and on the other hand, an event may 
 be displeasing when viewed in itself, and pleasing when 
 viewed in connection with other things. As a thing 
 considered in itself, we are unwilling to take an emetic 
 or to correct a child ;' but when we look at the impor- 
 tance of enjoying health in the first case, or at the fu- 
 ture welfare of our families in the second, we are wil- 
 ling to do either. The sufferings of Christ, in them- 
 selves considered, every person will acknowledge 
 were displeasing to God ; but when viewed in connec- 
 tion witJi the great scheme of salvation, and the eternal 
 display of his perfections, he was willing to have 
 him suffer. It is a thing that is pleasing in itself, and 
 it is the will of God, that all men should now repent. 
 He commands it,a and he would not command that 
 to be done which was in no sense agreeable to his will. 
 In the same sense he wishes every man now to be per- 
 fect ; this also he has commanded. 6 It is his will that 
 all men should love him supremely, but this it is certain 
 
 a AcU zvii. 30. b Mat. t. 43. 
 
PUTUEE PUNISHMENT. 225 
 
 ia not done. In the same sense it is his will that all 
 men should be saved. It may be on the whole more 
 for the glory of God to let some men exhibit the extent 
 of their depravity than it would to bring them all im- 
 mediately to repentance. No injustice, it is evident, is 
 done to them ; and to doubt that it is on the whole best 
 is to impeach his character. On the same principle it 
 may be for his glory that some should experience the 
 just reward of their conduct in the future world, al- 
 though as a thing in itself it may be opposed to his will. 
 For another argument that the distinction which has 
 been named must be adopted, the reader may look at 
 one passage which has been already cited from the 
 apostle Peter : " But is long suffering to us ward, not 
 willing that any should perish." This passage would 
 prove nothing in the mind of any man in favor of uni- 
 versal salvation, unless he believed that by the word 
 perish the apostle meant, to be understopd perishing 
 eternally. If we suppose that to be his meaning, (and 
 there is no way to avoid it,) what shall we say of an- 
 other passage in the context ? " But these, as natural 
 brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed, speak 
 evil of things that they understand not, and shall utterly 
 perish in their own corruption."a Now it cannot with 
 soberness be supposed that the apostle would change 
 the meaning of his own words, and of course some men 
 will perish eternally. The expression in this case is 
 certainly more unequivocal than in the other, and if 
 the other be understood as referring to sinners, contrary 
 to every correct principle of language, it does not 
 amount to the shadow of an argument to prove that 
 all men will be saved : but on the other hand, it gives 
 from this an argument against it which can never be 
 removed. 
 
 There is another passage which is thought to be 
 
 a 2 Pet. ii. 12. 
 
226 FUTURE PUNISHMEKT. 
 
 conclusive in proof of this doctriue> contained in the 
 book of Revelations : " And every creature which is in 
 heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and 
 such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I 
 saying. Blessing, and honor, and glory, and pov?er, be 
 unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the 
 Lamb, forever and ever ."a The plain meaning of this 
 passage is that the apostle was enabled, by the Spirit 
 of inspiration, to look forward and see a period when 
 the worship and service of God would prevail in hea- 
 ven and on the earth, and under the earth, and in the 
 sea ; but he gives us no intimation that it would pre- 
 vail in hell. No candid believer in the doctrine of fu- 
 ture punishment pretends to affix any locality to the 
 world of misery, much less to affix it in any of those 
 places mentioned by the apostle. Since the apostle 
 was so particular in mentioning those places where the 
 worship of God would prevail, and be universal, and 
 has said nothing concei'ning the world of despair, it is 
 a powerful argument that he intended to be understood, 
 by passing over it, that it was an exception. 
 
 The doctrine of universal salvation is thought by 
 many to be plainly contained in the following passage : 
 "I have sworn by myself, the word has gone out of my 
 mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that unto 
 me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."6 
 The same sentiment is contained in other passages.c 
 It is doubtless true that every individual will be brought 
 into a voluntary or involuntary subjection to the will 
 of God. Such as remain the enemies of God will he 
 put under hisfeet.d This expression was used in al- 
 lusion to the subjugation of the five kings of Canaan by 
 Joshua, and no one supposes that they became his 
 friends. 
 
 That this is the subjugation mentioned in the pas- 
 
 a Est. t, 13. b tsa, xlr. 23. e Kpm. xir, U, and PhU. ii. 10. d 1 Cor. xr. 35. 
 
FUTDRB PUNISHMENT. 227 
 
 sages cited above may be seen by looking at the 
 immediate connection of that which is taken from 
 IsaiE^ : " And all that are incensed against him shall 
 be ashamed."a The wicked will be constrained so far 
 to acknowledge the justice of God as to do honor to 
 his character and government. 
 
 Q. VII. Is it not painful to the heart of a parent to 
 apply a momentary correction to his child, however 
 obstinate he may be ? How then can we believe that 
 God, who is every where represented as a tender and 
 benevolent parent, can inflict a punishment upon his 
 subjects which is eternal ? 
 
 A. On the subject of punishment it is irrational as 
 well as dangerous to compare ourselves with God. 
 " Ye thought that I was altogether such an one as your- 
 selves ; but I will reprove thee, and set thy sins in 
 order before thee. Therefore consider this, ye that 
 forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none 
 to deliver.''^ No earthly parents, it can be expected, 
 will possess as adequate views of the importance of 
 the law, and of the importance to the system of divine 
 government that it should be supported, as God. What 
 earthly parents, if it were in their power, would send a 
 deluge upon their rebellious children, and overwhelm 
 therq in a watery grave.? What parent would rain 
 fire and brimstone upon them, and consume them, or 
 cause the earth to open and receive them ? How per* 
 fectly flimsy must be every argument drawn from a 
 comparison of our feelings in view of sin with those of 
 the great Jehovah ! It is in his power, were he only 
 disposed, to put an immediate end to all the sufferings 
 that we witness in our world. 
 
 Q. VIII. If christians, with the little love which they 
 possess, would rejoice to have all men saved, may we 
 not conclude that God, since it is said that Ae is love, 
 
 ain. xlr, 24, £P«, 1.21,22. 
 
228 FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 
 
 and since no one -can doubt his power, will convert and 
 save all ? 
 
 A. There is the same impropriety in this compari- 
 son as in the former. Christians would put an end to 
 all the miseries of the present world. They would 
 spread the gospel over the whole earth, and convert 
 every sinner to the faith, were it in their power. And 
 has not God as much tenderness and love to mankind 
 as christians ? Christians know little or nothing about 
 the impoi'tant purposes that are to be accomplished by 
 allowing men to continue in their course, and to exhibit 
 their real characters ; neither are they fit judges what 
 punishment the holiness of God's law and the perma- 
 nency of his Government require. Although the ques- 
 tion before us, as it makes an appeal to the feelings of 
 men is one of the most plausible arguments that are 
 brought to prove the doctrine of universal salvation, 
 it must appear to every serious man, from the above 
 remarks, to be idle and nugatory. If it should be said 
 that the Deity suffers men to be miserable in the pres- 
 ent life, that their happiness in the life to come may be 
 the greater, we answer that this is admitting that he 
 suffers evil for a greater good ; and by what possible 
 process of reasoning can we prove that he will not 
 suffer it upon the same princif)le eternally? 
 
 We will now present before the reader a brief state- 
 ment of the arguments with which we have supported 
 the doctrine of the endless punishment of the incorri- 
 gible sinner. It has been shown that such a punish- 
 ment is jmt ; that it is threatened ; that the salvation 
 of the righteous cannot be of grace, if this doctrine be 
 not just ; that the duration of punishment with the 
 wicked is often placed against the duration of happiness 
 with the righteous ; that the wicked will be without 
 hope ; that they are said to perish, to utterly perish, be 
 destroyed, &c. ; that the wicked have their portion in 
 
FUTURE PUNISHMENT. 229 
 
 this life ; that the door of heaven will be eternally shut 
 against them ; that some are already suffering a punish- 
 ment that is eternal ; and finally, that no other doctrine 
 could have produced the effects which were produced 
 by the preaching of the apostles. 
 
 GdwudaagaiiutChaunctT. Appleton'sLecturgs. ButnontheAtoniment. Scott'i 
 EiUi. 
 
 U 
 
SECTION XVI. 
 INSTITUTIONS OF THE GOSPEL, 
 
 CHEISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 Q. I. What do we mean by the Sabbath ? 
 
 A. The original name means rest, and was given to 
 that day on which it is said that God rested from the 
 work of creation, and which the Jews were commanded 
 to observe in compiemoration of that event. As the 
 same word is now used to mean that day which Chris- 
 tians are required to keep as a day of rest, it is to be 
 hoped that Sunday, (a name which was given to the day 
 by the heathen, because it was the day on which they 
 worshipped the Sun,) will soon pass into everlasting 
 disuse. 
 
 Q. II. What was the object for which the Sabbath 
 was appointed ? 
 
 A. It was appointed, as we have already stated, to 
 commemorate the work of creation ;a but in ordei* 
 that this answer may be satisfactory, it will be neces- 
 sary to show what purposes were to be accomplished 
 by this commemoration. The objects to be accom- 
 plished by it were important, and show much of the 
 wisdom and goodness of God. 
 
 1. One object for which the Sabbath was appointed 
 was that we might be favored with a day of rest. It 
 was not only designed to be a day of holy rest to the 
 soul, but of rest and refreshment to the body. We are 
 commanded to relinquish all manual labor, because on 
 that day the Lord rested from the work of creation. 
 Among other important objects, the Sabbath was de- 
 •igned to be an appointment of great mercy to the 
 
 « Ex. xi^ U. 
 
CHRISTIAN 3ABBATH. 231 
 
 brutes. It is an observatix)n that has been often made, 
 and that too by the most candid and intelHgent men 
 that have ever lived on the earth, that the v^orld stands 
 in need of precisely such an institution, aside from all 
 religious considerations whatever* Laboring men and 
 brutes, could they have no time to rest and renevy their 
 health and vigor, would soon sink under the burden of 
 their toil and hardship, and be on the whole far less 
 profitable to the world. Further, brutes have feelings 
 as well as men, and so far as the command of God is 
 obeyed, a kind respite is provided for them, of which, 
 we have every reason to believe, the covetousness and 
 cruelty of men would otherwise have forever deprived 
 them. 
 
 2. The Sabbath was appointed as a type of that fu- 
 ture and spiritual rest which is provided for the people 
 of God. 
 
 As there are six days of labor and toil that precede 
 the Sabbath" of rest, so it is generally believed that there 
 will be six thousand years of conflict and warfare with 
 the church of God, and then will commence the Sab- 
 bath of the world, or the millennium of the church. 
 " One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a 
 thousand years as one day." 
 
 The Sabbath is also a type of the Christian's rest in 
 heaven. " To morrow," said Moses, is the rest of the 
 holy Sabbath of the Lord." The apostle, it may well 
 be supposed, had his eye upon this passage as well as 
 upon the original institution, while he penned the fourth 
 chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews. From a course 
 of reasoning on the appointment of the Jewish and 
 Christian Sabbaths he comes to this conclusion : " There 
 remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."* 
 " Let us therefore labor to enter into that rest." 
 
 3. But the most important object in the appointment 
 
 ■CTlu word that ia beta tranalatad cast ia in Iha origiul, Sabtnth. 
 
232 CHKISTtAN BABBATH. 
 
 of the Sabbath was that the knowledge and worship of 
 the true God might be perpetuated, and the introduction 
 of idolatry prevented. He knew how soon a love for 
 this world, and a constant attention to its concerns, 
 would blind the minds of men after their fall, and lead 
 them into idolatry. At the first thought it would seem 
 that men could never haVe been made to believe any 
 other opinion than that the heavens and the earth, and 
 all that is in them, were the work of an infinitely wise 
 and powerful hand. But soon after the creation, we 
 have the most undoubted evidence, with all these proofs 
 of wisdom and power before them, mankind became so 
 groveling, as to be worshipping idols of every descrip- 
 tion ! Had they carefully observed the Sabbath, it 
 would have effectually prevented their falling into this 
 sin. Had they ceased every seventh day from their 
 labors, and kept the day holy, in commemoration of 
 the fact that the world had been created by the great 
 Jehovah, they never could have believed in idols. So 
 long then as this rite was understandingly observed, so 
 long the worship of the true God would be preserved 
 among the inhabitants of the world. In this way 
 the observance of the Sabbath was to be the principal 
 means by which religion was to be supported on the 
 earth. The advantages which result to mankind from 
 pure religion, or the worship of the true God, are nu- 
 merous and important. Its tendency is to elevate in 
 every important respect the human mind. 
 
 The mind, by being confined to this world, or to 
 idolatry of any kind, becomes groveling and sensual. 
 Immediately after the apostacy of our first parents, 
 men became idolaters, and as the natural consequence 
 of this they became sensual and ignorant. The history 
 of the world from that tittie to the present, affords the 
 most decided evidence in proof of this point. Testi- 
 mony the most unequivocal may be obtained also from 
 
CHKIBTIAN lABBATH. 233 
 
 the present state of the wprld. If we look at those 
 parts of the world where still broods the gloomy night 
 of Paganism, we shall see that just in proportion to 
 the intefisity of their spiritual, so is their intellectual 
 darkness. The more entirely the mind is under the 
 control of this world, the more impervious to its sight 
 are thjg walls of its prison, and of course, the less able 
 it is to extend its discoveries. No other cause can be 
 assigned why the minds of the heathen have not been 
 turned to the sciences, and why they are not at this 
 moment as enlightened as any nation on the face of the 
 earth ; they have not the worship of the true God, and 
 are under the influence of habitual idolatry. 
 
 So far then as we are anxious to promote the in- 
 terests of general knowledge, and act understandingly, 
 we shall be equally anxiovis to have the Sabbath uni- 
 versally observed. Every honest mind must be con- 
 vinced that it is the most important of all means in pre- 
 serving the worship of the true God in the world. 
 When the mind, at the return of every seventh day, is 
 called away from earthly and sensual objects, and led 
 to a course of reflection that strengthens its faith in the 
 existence of God, and renews the impressions produced 
 by a view of his character, it must be obvious that, the 
 worship of God will be preserved, when otherwise it 
 would be soon buried in the sensuality and dai-kness of 
 paganism. 
 
 2. The worship of God tends to promote all those 
 virtues which render life a blessing. The reading of 
 the Scriptures, the praises and the prayers of the house 
 of God, all direct the attention of the mind to subjects 
 of a spiritual and holy character. There the miser, 
 the man of pleasure, the profane swearer, the drunkard, 
 &c. are constantly reminded that the eye of their 
 Judge, who will ere long lay justice to the line and 
 righteousness to the plummet, is fixed upon them. 
 
234 CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 What will lead a man to treat the character and in- 
 terest of his neighbor both before his face and behind his 
 back, with all that tenderness and affection ysrhich he 
 would wish to have manifested toward his own, if he 
 will not be led to it by what he sees and hears in the 
 house of God ? If he will not resolve to do it when 
 the bed of death, the bar of judgment, and thenthrone 
 of God, are often placed before him, will he ever be 
 led to it by any motived, however solemn and fearful ? 
 If he will not be excited to resolutions of this kind) 
 where he is so often invited to contemplate such a 
 character as the Savior, what motives of a tender and 
 benevolent character can it ever be hoped will produce 
 this effect ? 
 
 It needs but little penetration to see that justice, 
 honesty, tenderness, and whatever tends to inspire 
 confidence, and nourish feelings of sincere regard 
 among mankind, are directly inculcated and constantly 
 cherished by the worship of God. 
 
 Again, the worship of God is of incalculable impor- 
 tance in the support of Government, especially if it be 
 free and elective. No government will endure for 
 any length of time without it unless it is based on igno- 
 rance, and guarded by tyranny. Every page in the 
 history of the world shows that man, if he have nothing 
 but the feeble arm of human power to awe him to sub- 
 mission and obedience, wants nothing but the opportu- 
 nity, to enhst in every enterprise by which he might 
 hope to promote his own interest or honor, however 
 hazardous it, may be to the best interests of his govern- 
 ment. The question which is suggested by the illus- 
 trious Washington on this subject, in his farewell ad- 
 dress, can never be answered : " Let it simply be 
 asked, where is our security, either for property or for 
 life, if all religious obligation desert the oaths which 
 are the instruments of investigation in our courts of 
 
CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 235 
 
 Justice ?" The more light and information men pos- 
 sess, the more iihpossible it will be to have any form 
 of Government remain stable among them, if they have 
 no fear of the retributions of God in another world. 
 What an awful £ind heart-sickening proof in support 
 of this proposition may be derived from the history of 
 modern France ! On the other hand, let a deep im- 
 pression be implanted in the minds of men that they 
 are immortal, and that they are amenable to the eter- 
 nal and unalterable retributions of a just God, and how- 
 ever enlightened they may be, so far as they are gov- 
 erned by these impressions in their conduct, their en- 
 gagements may be relied on, and government will be 
 secure. Now what other means can we hope will be 
 as successful in planting this impression on the mind, 
 as the worship of God on the Sabbath ? It is here that 
 every argument" that can be placed before the human 
 mind, from the importance of our present state of ex- 
 istence, and from the word of God which is adapted to 
 make this impression, is constantly sounding in his 
 ears. There is not a sentence that we hear in the 
 house of God, either in the preaching, the prayers, or 
 praises of divine worship, but what is directly calcu- 
 lated to cherish such an impression. What multitudes 
 are constrained, in order to comply with the dictates of 
 custom, or to secure their popularity, to listen to reli- 
 gious instruction, who would not hear a syllable on 
 such a subject from one month to another, were it not 
 for the Sabbath ! 
 
 While it is true that governments where the wor- 
 ship of God is observed may become a prey to division, 
 and thus be ruined, because there will always be mul- 
 titudes who do not believe nor act under the influence 
 of the impressions we have named, it is equally true 
 that we need no knowledge of futurity to predict the 
 certain destruction of any government, especially if its 
 
236 CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 inhabitants are enlightened, where the Sabbath, and of 
 course the worship of God is not regarded. 
 
 It must be seen from these remarks that every mea- 
 sure that is adopted, and every particle of influence that 
 is exerted, either by example or in any other way that 
 weakens upon the minds of men their obligation to ob- 
 serve the Sabbath, have a tendency the most direct 
 and fatal to undermine and ruin a government. The 
 work of destruction may be lingering, but it is certain ; 
 and if a government fall by such means, the materials 
 . that may be gathered from the ruins will be wholly 
 - unfit to be incorporated into another. A leprosy will 
 attach to them more contagious, and at the same time 
 more corrupting and despoiling, than ever adhered to 
 the walls of a dwelling in ancient Israel. Thus it may 
 be seen that the Sabbath is an appointment of unspeak- 
 able importance to the world. 
 
 Q. III. What evidence have we that the obligation 
 to observe the Sabbath is perpetual ? 
 
 A. The first argument in proof of this will be drawn 
 from the fact that the injunction to observe the Sabbath 
 is contained in the decalogue. It must appear not a 
 little surprising that the opinions of men should be as 
 loose upon this subject as they oiten are, when it is so 
 definitely mentioned and commanded in the law, and 
 when every other requirement is acknowledged to be 
 sacredly and perpetually binding. Did they deny their 
 obligations to obey every part of the decalogue, it 
 would be more consistent. But what conscientious be- 
 liever in the Bible ever pretends that the three first or 
 six last of these commands are not obligatory? What 
 Christian was ever heard to contend that he was not 
 under obligation to love God, to refrain from the wor- 
 ship of idols and the profane use of the name of God ? 
 What Christian is heard to contend that children are 
 not bound to love and obey their parents ; that murder. 
 
CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 237 
 
 fornication, slander, theft, &c. are not criminal ? But 
 if every other command is sacred, what plea can be 
 made for applying the separating" knife to the fourth ? 
 It was recorded with the rest on the same tables of 
 stone. When the first tables were broken, it was care- 
 fully preservfed and engraved on the second. While 
 it is uniformly acknowledged that the reason why this 
 law was written upon stone was that it might be dis- 
 tinguished from the Mosaic ritual, and to show that 
 while that passed away, this must endure, by what fair 
 means can a,ny part of it be set aside ? What is more 
 durable than stone ; and where the hand of God has 
 written a command upon it, who shall take upon him 
 to obliterate it ? Was there any intimation given, 
 when amid the smoke and thunderings of Sinai this law 
 was announced from heaven, that this fourth command 
 was not to be as perpetual as the other nine ? 
 
 Q. IV. Has hot the fourth command been repealed? 
 
 A. We are sure that nothing of this character can 
 be found in the scriptures ; but as this is often alleged, 
 we shall examine the passages in which it is supposed 
 to be contained. It is said that the Savior "blotted 
 out the hand writing of ordinances, nailing it to his 
 cross." 
 
 In answer to this it may be said that this passage 
 refers, beyond all question, to those typical institutions 
 which had their fulfilment in the coming and death of 
 Christ. It is plain to the understanding of a child that 
 there is nothing of this character in the decalogue. 
 Besides, it is not supposed as we have already observed, 
 that the three first and six last of these commands 
 wereijblotted out, and that men are under no obligation 
 to love God or each other ; what grounds can we have 
 for supposing that the fourth is abrogated ? Another 
 passage in which it is supposed by some that the Sab- 
 hath is xepealed is the following : " The Son of Man 
 
238 CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 is Lord of the Sabbath. "a But this was spoken of the 
 Jewish Sabbath, and if his declaring himself to be Lord 
 of the Sabbath has repealed it, the Sabbath was never 
 in force. The Son of Man is Lord of the gospel ; is it 
 therefore destitute of authority ? But it is asserted, 
 again that the Savior violated the Sabbath. That he 
 and his disciples did many things upon the Sabbath 
 which the superstitious Jews considered a violation is 
 readily admitted ; but as an evidence that he did not 
 mean it should be so considered, he refers for his justi- 
 fication to the conduct of David, when, it is admitted 
 by all, the Sabbath was in force. By this reference of 
 our Savior to the conduct of David, he showed, beyond 
 all possible doubt, that he viewed the Sabbath to be 
 equally as obligatory as in the days of David. Not 
 the least intimation does he give that the obligation had 
 ceased, or was about to cease ; which, if it had been 
 true, he might have done with infinite ease. He is 
 Lord of the Sabbath, and as such has a right to arrange 
 or dispose of it as he pleases. Let us then hear his de- 
 cision on the subject : " Heaven and earth shall pass 
 away before one jot or tittle shall pass from the law."6 
 This passage inseparably rivets the fourth command 
 to the other nine until the dissolution of the world. 
 What God has thus solemnly joined together, let no man 
 put asunder. 
 
 When our Lord had justified himself by showing 
 what conduct had been justified in the days of David, 
 he added, "The Sabbath was made for man, Etnd not 
 man for the Sabbath." Some have inferred a repeal 
 of the Sabbath from this passage. But this, it must be 
 remembered, was spoken concerning the creation Sab- 
 bath, or that which was established on the seventh day 
 at the beginning of the world. The Sabbath was made 
 for man, and that in great mercy, as we have seen by 
 
 oLukaTJ. S, iMat. T. 13. 
 
CHRISTIAN BABBATH. 239 
 
 a view of the object for which it was appointed. There 
 is but one other passage in the New Testament, which 
 is thought to prove that the Sabbath is abrogated. 
 " Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, 
 or in respect of any holy day, or of new moons, or of 
 the Sabbath days. "a Ttie term Sabbath days in this 
 passage evidently refers to the Jewish Sabbath, be- 
 cause it is not used in the New Testament to mean 
 the first day of the week, or that day which the apos- 
 tles observed as holy time. After the change of the 
 Sabbath, it was called the Lord's day, as will be shown 
 in its proper place. 
 
 The apostle was evidently endeavoring to guard his 
 brethren against some Judaizing teachers who were 
 ready to condemn all that did not observe the seventh 
 day. To have observed the seventh day with motives 
 like these, would have been opposed to the gospel as 
 really as an adherence to the Mosaic ceremonies. 
 There are but two or three passages in the Old Tes- 
 tament which it is ever thought disprove the perpetuity 
 of the Sabbath. " Bring no more vain oblations ; the 
 new moons and Sabbaths I cannot away with."6 One 
 single remark will be sufficient to show that the Sab- 
 baths here mentioned were some of the Jewish holy 
 days. But if this be doubted, the reason why the Sab- 
 bath was such an abhorrence to the Lord was the man- 
 ner in which it was observed by the Jews. This is 
 plain from the fact that more than forty years after this 
 period, this prophet in the most explicit manner urged 
 the importance of observing the Sabbath. The reader 
 will be convinced of the truth of this beyond a doubt, 
 by consulting the references.c There is a similar pas- 
 sage in the prophet Hbsea, which is often cited by the 
 enemies of the Sabbath. "And I will cause her mirth 
 to cease, her fast days, her new moons, and her Sab- 
 
 a Co!. IL 16. * Lm. i. 13. c ba. Iriii. IS, and Iri. 8, ud Izri. S3. 
 
240 CHEISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 baths."a The expression her Sabbaths is not used in 
 the Bible to mean the Sabbath of the Lord ; but the 
 phrases most commonly used to signify that day are 
 the Sabbath, and my Sabbath. May we not, in view of 
 these remarks, confidently affirm that there is nothing 
 in the Bible containing the least information of a for- 
 mal repeal of the Sabbath ? 
 
 But as a further proof that the Sabbath is still in 
 force, we remark that it will be observed in the mil- 
 lennium. Referring to that day, the prophet Isaiah 
 observes, " And it shall come to pass, from one Sabbath 
 to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, 
 saith the Lord." That the time here referred to is 
 the millennium is beyond a doubt, because it is repre- 
 sented to be in the new heavens and new earth.6 The 
 same sentiment is exhibited by the prophet Ezekiel.C 
 
 Let us now take a summary view of the arguments 
 in proof of this point. The Sabbath is found recorded 
 in the moral law, every other part of which is acknow- 
 ledged to be in force, and is declared by the Savior to 
 remain in force " till heaven and earth pass away." It 
 is acknowledged by our Savior when accused ©f viola- 
 ting it. It was observed by the apostles. It was uni- 
 formly observed by the primitive christians,* and will 
 be observed in the millennium. 
 
 Q. IV. If the Sabbath be an institution of perpetual 
 obligation, why is there ■ nothing said about it in the 
 history of the world previous to the call of Abraham ? 
 
 A. That this is no evidence that the institution had 
 not existed frotn the beginning is plain from the follow- 
 ing consideration : The Sabbath is mentioned but four 
 or five times in the whole Jewish writings, which con- 
 tain a history of one thousand years ; yet no person 
 
 *Suoh i« the testimony of Ignatius. Justin Martyr, Irenieua, TectiiUian, wd Fetu- 
 rius, iDvighfa T/ieotogi/, Sermon 106,> • ' 
 
 aHoa. ii. U. i laa. Itri. S3, c Ezek. idjv. 24. 
 
CHRISTIAN SABDATH. 241 
 
 has the least doubt but that •Nehemiah and Isaiah con- 
 sidered it as still in force. If any person be inclined 
 to doubt this, he may consult the passages referred to 
 in their writings.a Can it then be thought strange that ' 
 it should not have been mentioned before the days of 
 Abraham ? Besides, what necessity could there be for 
 repealing an institution which must have been consi- 
 dered, at least by all the really pious, to have been in- 
 stituted in commemoration of the work of creation ? 
 It was proclaimed to them by the return of every sev- 
 enth day, by the voice of him who causeth the rising 
 and the setting of the sun. An impression of this na- 
 ture seems to have existed in the days of Moses. This, 
 we are aware, is disputed by Dr. Paley and some 
 others. They have also taken great pains to prove 
 that the institution of the Sabbath is not perpetually 
 binding. We shall now give the most important ar- 
 guments which they advance in favor of their opinion 
 a brief and candid examination. It is said that the ru- 
 lers of the congregation had no sueh impression when 
 they brought a complaint to Moses against the people, 
 because they had collected on the sixth day twice as 
 much manna as on any other day of the week. In 
 answer to this it may be observed that Moses might 
 not have acquainted the rulers with the particular di- 
 rections he had received concerning the manna, and 
 they doubtless inferi-ed from the general direction he 
 had given, that no part of what they gathered should 
 be kept over night, which was perfectly applicable to 
 all the other days of the week* that the people by col- 
 lecting double the quantity were transgressing' a di- 
 vine command. But it is said again, that what was 
 said by Moses on that occasion amounts substantially 
 to a new appointment of the Sabbath. But does not 
 the conduct of which they complamed afford indispu- 
 
 aNth. ii. 14. x. M. xiii. IS. In. Iri. 3. Iriil. 13. 
 
242 CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 table evidence that the people had correct views of the 
 subject ? Does it nol, proye that they were aware of 
 the division of time into weeks, and that no labor was 
 allowed ontheseventh day ? That the answer of Moses 
 to thp rulers who brought the complaint should be thought 
 to contain a new appointment of the Sabbath is not a 
 little surprising. " And he said unto them, This is that 
 which the Lord hath said, To-morrow is the rest of 
 the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. See, for that the 
 Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth 
 you on the sixth day the bread of two days. "a We 
 can scarcely conceive wherein the declaration of Moses 
 would have been different if his eye had been fixed 
 on the original institution, and he were proclaiming it 
 to them as a law of standing and perpetual obligation. 
 
 " This is that which the Lord hath said. * * The 
 Lord hath given you the Sabbath day, therefore he giv- 
 eth you on the sixth day the bread of two days." Does 
 he not clearly imply that the impressions and the con- ■ 
 duct of the common people were correct, and that they 
 were justified by a known and important law ? 
 
 Another argument to prove that the appointment was 
 made by Moses, and did not exist before, many derive 
 from the fact that Moses urges the observance of the 
 Sabbath from different reasons from those which are 
 annexed to the creation Sabbath. The reasons an- 
 nexed to the creation Sabbath, to secure its observance, 
 are the following : " For in six days the Lord thy God 
 made heaven and earth," &c. But that which is 
 added by Moses was the kindness of God in delivering 
 them from Egyptian bondage.6 The reason which is 
 given in Deuteronomy why the Sabbath should be ob- 
 served after the deliverance of Israel from their bond- 
 age, is clearly an additional reason. The reasons 
 annexed to the creation Sabbath had been repeatedly, 
 
 Et. Xrl. 22—39 6 DmI. r. 13. 
 
CHKISTIAN SABBATH. 243 
 
 and in circumstances the most solemn, exhibited before 
 them : they had recently been the subjects of great and 
 signal mercies ; and as the observance of the Sabbath 
 was an important part of divine service, what would 
 be more reasonable than that the additional mercies 
 they had received at the hand of God should be stated 
 as an additional reason why they should serve him ? 
 Different reasons are given in different parts of the 
 Bible why we should embrace the gospel, but no one 
 would infer from that circumstance that the gospel had 
 ever been abrogated, or that our obligation to embrace 
 it is not perpetual. 
 
 Q. V. If the institution of the Sabbath was designed 
 to be perpetually binding, why is it not expressly en- 
 joined in the New Testament ? 
 
 A. We are by no means willing to concede that it is 
 not explicitly commanded in the New Testament. It 
 must be apparent, from the remarks which have been 
 already made, that every intimation that the law is still 
 obligatory upon men contains an injunction for the 
 observance of the Sabbath. " Do we then make void 
 the law through faith ?" said the apostle, " God forbid ; 
 yea, we establish the law. "a The whole course of his 
 reasoning was designed to show that he considered the 
 obligations of the law to be continual. Since there is 
 not the slightest intimation, either in the giving of the 
 law, or in any later period, that the fourth command 
 was not as sacred, and as continually binding as the 
 rest, how could we expect that this command would be 
 singled out and explicitly enjoined? The law that 
 regulates the afiinity of marriage is not repeated nor 
 enjoined in the New Testament ; yet who supposes 
 from this fact that it is repealed, and that it would now 
 be right for a man to marry his own daughter or sister? 
 
 Q. YI. If the Sabbath be the same institution under 
 
 a Bon. iii. 31. 
 
244 CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 both the Jewish and Christian dispensations, why 
 should it not be observed in a manner as strict and as 
 holy under the latter as the former ; and why should 
 not a violation of it be punished, with as severe corpo- 
 real punishment now as it was under the former dis- 
 pensation ? 
 
 A. That we are not under obligation to observe the 
 Sabbath in a manner as holy as were the prophets, can 
 never be proved, either from the nature of the insti- 
 tution, or from the Bible ; and of course the violation 
 of it must be as great if not a greater sin in us than it 
 was in them. Still it is far from being true that the 
 same kinds of punishment should be inflicted. Man- 
 kind are much more enlightened now than they were 
 in the days of Moses. There is an apparent propriety 
 in the course which God in his providence has pursued 
 in relation to this subject. When childr enare young, 
 and possess but little information it is uniformly con- 
 sidered far more suitable to make use of corporeal pun- 
 ishments in correcting them, than when they are of 
 sufHcient age to weigh with seriousness verbal reproof. 
 Under the former dispensation corporeal punishments 
 were inflicted for many crimes ; but under the latter 
 men are uniformly pointed forward, for their reward, 
 to the retributions of a future world. The case before 
 us is not singular in this respect. The child who was 
 disobedient to his parents under the former was to be 
 stoned to death. No one can suppose that disobedience 
 to parents is not as criminal now as it was then, neither 
 does any one imagine that the disobedient child is now 
 to be stoned to death. 
 
 Q. VII. What evidence have we that the day to be 
 observed as the Sabbath is changed, or that to observe 
 the first day of the week is a C9mpliance with the fourth 
 comniand ? 
 
 A. It was necessary that the day should be changed, 
 
CHBISTIAN SABBATH. 245 
 
 in order that the object fof which the institution was 
 appointed might be accomplished. It has been already 
 •shown that the object for which the appointment was 
 made was to preserve the worship of the true God in 
 the world. When this object required a change in the 
 day, it is apparent that the nature of the institution 
 was not affected. That the object did require this 
 change in the day will be seen from the following con- 
 sideration. 
 
 So long as the Sabbath was observed in commemo- 
 ration of the work of creation, and in this way preserved 
 the worship of the true God, so long it remained as 
 a test of religion. Such as observed it gave evidence 
 that they believed in the true God, and . in all that he 
 had revealed of himself to the world. By this means 
 the observance of the Sabbath became a test by which 
 might be determined who were the worshippers of the 
 true God, in distinction from unbelievers. But when 
 the Messiah appeared in the world, if the day had not 
 been changed to commemorate his resurrection, the 
 observance of it would not have shown who were be- 
 lievers in distinction from unbelievers. It would have 
 no longer remained as a test to determine the true wor- 
 shippers of God. Had it not been changed, such as 
 adhered to the Jewish form of worship, and, wilfully 
 rejected Christ, could not have been distinguished by 
 the Sabbath from real Christians. In this case the in- 
 stitution would not have a,nswered the purpose for 
 which it was appointed. On the other hand, it will be 
 seen that no individual that believed and kept the first 
 day of the week in commemoi-ation of his resurrection, 
 would disbelieve that God had created the world ; and 
 of course the observance of the first day of the week 
 would accomplish all the purposes for which the creation 
 Sabbath was appointed. It is plain, therefore, that the 
 institution, by being changed to the fi^st day of the 
 
246 CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 week, served to distinguish the real servants of God 
 from his enemies, and answered at the same time the 
 same purpose as the ancient Sabbath. 
 
 2. The Sabbath was set apart or sanctified as an in- 
 stitution, and not the day on v^hich it vpas appointed. 
 This will be seen by a careful reading of the command 
 that contains the institution : "Remember the Sabbath 
 day to keep it holy. For in six days the Lord made 
 heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and 
 rested on the seventh day ; therefore the Lord blessed 
 the Sabbath day and hallowed it. "a Here, it may be 
 seen is a distinction between the seventh day and the 
 Sabbath day, which clearly shows that the institution 
 was independent of the day on which it was appointed. 
 Although the Sabbath was then on the seventh day, it 
 was the Sabbath and not the seventh day that was 
 sanctified. And if the institution existed independently 
 of the day on which it was appointed, then the day may 
 be changed, while the institution remains the same. 
 
 3. The change of the day seems to be clearly inti- 
 mated by the apostle in the fourth chapter of Hebrews. 
 Concerning the Savior he observes, " For he that has 
 entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own 
 works, as God did fi-om his." As it is said in the pre- 
 ceding verse that " God did rest the seventh day from 
 all his works," it is evident that the apostle is here 
 comparing the work of the Savior in the redemption 
 of men with that of the Father in the creation of the 
 world. As the father, when he had finished his work, 
 established a day of rest, so the Son, when he had 
 finished his more important work, had a day appointed, 
 by the observance of which it might be commemorated. 
 
 4. As a still more conclusive argument, it may be 
 observed that the first day of the week was observed 
 by the disciples and all the primitive Christians. It 
 
 a Ex. zx. 9, II. 
 
CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 247 
 
 was their custom to meet on the first day of the week 
 to attend to the ordinances of the gospel.a It will cer- 
 tainly not be supposed, by any candid inquii^r after 
 the truth, that the apostles did not uhderstand the will 
 of their Master. As he was pleased himself to meet 
 with them after his resurrection on that day, it is but 
 reasonable to suppose that they had received his in- 
 structions on the subject. It was on this account that 
 the first day of the week was called the " Lord's day." 
 It was observed to commemorate his glorious work. 
 In addition to this it has already been shown that all 
 the churches, during the first centuries, observed it as 
 the Sabbath. It cannot be supposed that the apostles 
 would be left not only to mistake the will of the Lord, 
 but to convey to their successors an important error in 
 Christian practice. 
 
 Lest some should be inclined to doubt whether the 
 primitive Christians observed the first day of the week, 
 we will subjoin a few extracts from the history of those 
 days. Ignatus, who was a companion of the apostles, 
 says expressly, " Let us no longer sabbatize," by which 
 he meant keeping the Jewish Sabbath, " but let us keep 
 the Lord's day, on which our Life arose." In another 
 passage he calls it the " queen of days." Melito, it is 
 said, wrote a whole book concerning the first day of 
 the week. Justin Martyr and TertuUian in their apolo- 
 gies for Christianity speak expressly of stated Christian 
 assemblies on that day. Irenseus, who was a disciple 
 ofPolycarp, who lived in the second century, says, 
 " On the Lord's day every one of us. keeps the Sab- 
 bath." Indeed, nothing is more common than to meet 
 with testimonies to this amount in all the histories of 
 the church which refer to that period. 
 
 We have now shown that the Sabbath is an institu- 
 tion independent of the day on which it is observed ; 
 
 a John xz. 19, 26. Acts xi. 7, 1 Cor. iri. 2. 
 
248 CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 that the object for which it was appointed required that 
 the day should be changed ; that the Savior evidently 
 designed that the first day of the week should be ob- 
 served to. commemorate the work of redemption, and 
 that the apostles" and their successors did observe it 
 for that purpose. We cannot but feel a confidence that 
 every individual, who comes to this subject with an 
 honest and open mind, will be satisfied with the argu- 
 ments which have been advanced. He will be con- 
 vinced that although the day is changed, the institu- 
 tion remains, and its sacred obligation is not at all di- 
 minished. On the whole, the Sabbath is an institution 
 of so much importance to the world, it is so well adap- 
 ted to promote the interests of piety in the heart, and 
 it is so important as a means in supporting the interests 
 of the Redeemer's kingdom, we may confidently affirm 
 that no christian, acting understandingly, will ever 
 wish to do away, upon the minds of men, the sacred- 
 ness of its obligation. 
 
 Q. VIII. In what manner is the Sabbath to be ob- 
 served ? 
 
 A. 1. It is to be observed by refraining from all un- 
 necessary labor. " In it thou shalt not do any work."a 
 
 The labor of harvesting, although it is usually the 
 most urgent of any in the course of the year, is ex-, 
 pressly forbidden. " In earing time and harvest thou 
 shalt rest."6 
 
 2. It is to be observed from the beginning to the end 
 of the day. " Six days shall work be done, but on the 
 seventh day there shall be to you a holy day."c " And 
 it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began 
 to he dark, before the Sabbath, I commanded that the. 
 gates should be shut, and charged that they should not 
 be opened till after the Sabbath,"^ 
 
 3. It is not to be spent in idleness, but. in the active 
 
 sEx. zx, », 10. 6Ex. xzzJT. 21. cEx. zzzr. S.. dNeh. ziii. 19. 
 
CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 249 
 
 service of God. " And it shall come to pass, from one 
 Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship 
 before me, saith the Lord."a On this subject there is 
 a looseness in the opinions of men, on which no sincere 
 christian can reflect but with pain. If the day be not 
 spent in hard labor, or in plays and amusements, mul- 
 titudes seem not to have a thought but that it is em- 
 ployed according to the original design. Although 
 their minds are constantly in a state of sluggishness, 
 and destitute of all serious thoughts, or employed about 
 the interests of the present world, yet their consciences 
 will not reprove them. How stupid and irrational is 
 such a course ! The Sabbath is that part of our time 
 which God has reserved for his service. He has a 
 right to demand the whole ; and since he has claimed 
 but one seventh part to be devoted exclusively to his 
 service, shall we defraud him of that ? Were a tenant 
 who was required to improve a part of his time in the 
 service of his landlord, and the remainder in his ovra, 
 to lounge and drowse away all that which should be 
 ' employed for his landlord, in what point of light must 
 his conduct be viewed ? Some attempt to justify this 
 course because the Sabbath is appointed for a day of 
 rest. This however is far, very far from being agree- 
 able to the directions of the most high : " And call the 
 Sabbath a delight, holy of the Lord, honorable ; and 
 shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding 
 thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words."6 
 
 Q. IX. What are we to understand by works of we- 
 cessity, or when it is justifiable to labor on the Sabbath ? 
 
 A. It is justifiable to relieve distress, preserve pro- 
 perty, or life, ichich nothing but a miracle would other- 
 wise relieve or preserve, and which of course it would be 
 presumption to trust with Providence, As when a man. 
 is unavoidably suffering with hunger, or his beast has 
 
 alit. IXTi. 13. » fas. Mii. 18. 
 
250 CHRISTIAN SABBATH. 
 
 fallen into a pit, or his house has taken fire, &c. In 
 such cases it would be evidently presumption to rely on 
 Providence^a When necessity is created by previous 
 and heedless neglect, though it may be a duty to pre- 
 vent pain, or preserve life, the guilt contracted is not 
 less than t^at w^hich is contracted by a violation of the 
 Sabbath. If a man make no provisions for his family 
 when it is in his power, and when they ought to be 
 made, let him be as anxious as he may, when the cry 
 of hunger has reached his ears, and it is beyond his 
 power to satisfy it, he is accountable for the pain his 
 carelessness has occasioned.6 
 
 Q. X. If we are commanded to labor for six days, 
 and do all our work in them, is it not wrong to employ 
 any part of them for religious purposes ? 
 
 A. 1. The expression " do all thy work" implies that 
 all that labor which is done to promote the temporal 
 interests of men ought to be done withm the six days. 
 
 2. If this objection be viewed as solid, then we may 
 infer from the command to " pray always" that nothing 
 else ought ever to be done but to pray. 
 
 3. If there be any weight to this objection, it bears 
 more heavily on the Savior and his apostles than on 
 any other individuals. Very few if any at this day 
 can testify that " by the space of three years they 
 ceased not to warn every one night and day with 
 tears."c 
 
 4. Such as urge this objection may be reminded 
 that unless they are very careful to employ the Sab- 
 bath for no other but religious purposes, and the rest 
 of the week for none but hard labor, they show that 
 they are led to make the objection rather from a dis- 
 affection to the service of God than a fear of misim- 
 proving their time. 
 
 On the whole, the Sabbath must appear to every 
 
 « Luln Ti. 1— II. iEx. XTi. t7. <Actszz. 31; 
 
CHRISTIAN SABBATU. 251 
 
 enlightened Christian an institution of immense impor- 
 tance. Opposition to it is opposition to the best inte- 
 rests of mankind. No parent can feel that he has done 
 his duty to his family, or to the world, till he has done 
 all that is in his power, both by his example and his 
 instructions to have it sacredly observed. 
 
 Dwigtat'a Theology. Doctpr Latbiop. 
 
SECTION XV 11. . 
 
 BAPTISM. 
 
 Q. I. What is Baptism ? 
 
 A. Baptism is a religious ceremony, performed by 
 the application of water, to a proper subject, by an 
 appointed officer, in the name of the Father, and the 
 Son, and the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Q. n. What are the objects for which the ordinance 
 of baptism was appointed ? 
 
 A. That the people of God might evince their faith 
 in the Lord Jesus Christ, and be furnished with a token 
 or testimony of the covenant into which they have entered 
 with God. ' 
 
 Q. III. What evidence have we that baptism is an 
 institution to be continued in the church ? ' 
 
 A. No reason can be given why it was practised 
 by apostles which would not show it to be equally 
 important in every succeeding age. Our Savior di- 
 rected his dis'ciples to baptize, and the same direction 
 was given by them to their successors, and thus the 
 ordinance has been handed down to the present period. 
 
 The command of the Savior seems to have had no 
 more reference to that period than to every period that 
 should follow. " Go ye therefore, and teach all na- 
 tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of 
 the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."a This command 
 was understood by the apostles and their successors 
 as adapted to every succeeding generation. There is 
 no principle upon which they could rationally have 
 understood it otherwise. Such a command must be 
 
 a Mttt. xzriii. 19. 
 
BAPTISM. 253 
 
 considered as obligatory till it is obeyed, which it is 
 certain has never yet been done. " He that believeth 
 and is baptized shall be saved."a There is not the 
 slightest intimation given but that this would be equally 
 true and important in every succeeding age. The 
 immediate successors of the apostles pl'^ctised it, as. 
 appears by their controversies about the time when it 
 should be administered. 
 
 Q. IV. Who are the proper subjects of baptism ? 
 
 A. Believer^ and their children. As this has been 
 a subject which has occasioned a long and unhappy 
 controversy, it cannot be expected that all the argu- 
 ments on both sides, in a work like this, can be distinctly 
 noticed. We can only give a brief view of some of 
 the arguments which go to support what we conceive 
 to be the truth, and then notice some of the most impor- 
 tant objections. 
 
 In supporting the answer we have now given with 
 regard to the subjects of baptism, it is presumed that no 
 arguments are necessary to show that believing adults 
 have a right to this ordinance. This is readily admitted 
 by all who believe that water baptism is a divine ordi- 
 nance, and is to be continued in the church. The only 
 question which can with propriet.v he, airitatfiH is 
 whether the children of believers 8 
 ordinance. And, 
 
 1. The covenant of grace, or the 
 the covenant made with Abraham, a 
 I will establish toy covenant betv 
 and thy seed after thee in their ^ 
 everlasting covenant, to be a God ui 
 seed after thee."6 " I will be to th« 
 shall be to me a people."c " For t 
 you and to your children, and to a 
 even as many as the Lord our God snail call, "a in 
 
 a Mark zri. 16. b Gan. zrii. 7. e H«b. Tiii. 10. d Acti il. 39. 
 12 
 
254 BAPTISM. 
 
 the first of these passages the blessing promised is the 
 same as in the promise made to Abraham : , "I will be 
 a God to thee," and " I will be to them a God, and they 
 shall be to me a people." That this is a spiritual bles- 
 sing which is here promised, no one who reflects with 
 seriousness vipon the subject can doubt. Let the privi- 
 lege contained in this promise be taken from one of the 
 saints in heaven ; let it be taken for instance from the 
 apostle Paul ; let him be no longer able to view God 
 as his God, and what would there be in heaven to ren- 
 der, him happy ? The passage quoted from Acts re- 
 cognizes the same relation between parents and their 
 children as the promise made to Abraham : " For the 
 promise is unto you and to your children," &c. It is 
 often objected that the expression " the promise is unto 
 you and to your children" means no more than that 
 the promise is unto you if you believe, and to your chil- 
 dren if they believe. This explanation would make 
 the apostle to say, the promise is to you and your child- 
 ren ; but not because they are your children, nor be- 
 cause they are related to you, no more than if they 
 were pagans ; but if they live and become believers, 
 then the promise will be to them as it is now to you, 
 Now if the relation between parents and their children, 
 and if the blessing promised, be the same in the new 
 covenant, as in that which was made with Abraham, 
 the children of believers must be fit subjects for that or- 
 dinance which answers most of the purposes under the 
 new that circumcision did under the old dispensation. 
 , Children, in consequence of their connection with 
 their parents, were admitted under the former dispensa- 
 tion to circumcision, which was a religious rite. This, 
 it may be presumed, no one will be inclined to doubt. 
 They were admitted to that rite which was a token of 
 the covenant between God and Abraham, and which 
 was a seal of the rightiousness of Abraham's faith\ If 
 
BAPTISM. 255 
 
 this relation to their parents anfl to the-churoh is the 
 same now as under the former dispensation, when they 
 were admitted to circumcision, why should they not be 
 admitted to baptism ? That baptism so far takes the 
 place of circumcision that it should be applied to the 
 same subjects, is evident, 
 
 1. From the fact that there is no other ordinance 
 under the new dispensation that answers the purpose 
 of circumcision under the old. It is generally admitted 
 that the LortPs supper occupies the same place in the 
 church now, that the passover did under the former 
 dispensation. It must be difficult to see wherein the 
 privileges of believers under the latter are equal to 
 what they were under the former, if there be no rite 
 answering to that of circumcision. 
 
 2. Baptism is urged upon the same principle, and for 
 .the same reason, under the new dispensation, that cir- 
 cumcision was under the old. " Repent and be bap- 
 tised every one of you, * * for the promise is unto 
 you and your children," &c.a Of circumcision it is 
 said, " it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me 
 and you."i Abraham was required to receive circum- 
 cision as a testimony that he believed in God, and that 
 God had entered into a covenant with him which inclu- 
 ded his childrefi. "And he received the sign of cir- 
 cumcision as a seal of the righteousness of the faith 
 which he had, yet being uncircumcised."c "And I will 
 establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy 
 seed after thee in their generations, to be a God nnto 
 thee and to thy seed after thee."at The two cases then 
 stand thus : Abraham was required to believe and be 
 circumcised, because God had made a covenant with him 
 and his seed. The hearers of the apostles were required 
 to repent and be baptized, because the promise was unto 
 them and to their children, 
 
 a lits U. 3S. 19. t Gta. ztii. II. eBam.iT. II. d Qsi. xril. 7. 
 
258 BAPTISM. 
 
 In view of this similarity of the use to which these 
 two rites were applied under the two different dispen- 
 sations, can there be a serious doubt but that they were 
 designed to occupy the same place in the church ? And 
 as an evidence that the promise mentioned by the apos- 
 tle is the same as the covenant with Abraham, let the 
 candid reader inquire whether he can find another in 
 all the Old Testament which required /aiiA in parents, 
 and which included their children. Says the apostle, 
 " The promise is unto you and to your children," &,c,a 
 How similar is this phraseology to that of the apostle 
 Paul : "And if ye are Christ's then are ye Abraham's 
 seed, and heirs according to the promise."b " Now 
 we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of pro- 
 mise."c 
 
 3. Baptism is the same token or sign under the. new 
 dispensation as circumcision under the old. The scrip- 
 tures we have already quoted show that circumcision 
 was a seal of the righteousness of faith. With regard 
 to baptism it is said, " If thou beUevest with all thy 
 heart, thou mayest."<? If faith were required in order 
 to baptism, then baptism must be viewed as a token of 
 faith. And if it be a seal or token of faith, it must be a 
 seal of its righteousness ; for without this, faith would 
 be of no importance. 
 
 4. Both baptism and circumcision were practiced by 
 the apostles at the same time. The apostles allowed 
 the church at Jerusalem to continue the practice of cir- 
 cumcision long after baptism had been adopted by the 
 Gentile churches. The most decisive evidence of this 
 can be obtained by lookmg at the history of the labors 
 of the apostles. In the fifteenth chapter of Acts we 
 are told that some of the brethren came down from Ju- 
 dea to Antioch, and taught the Gentile converts that 
 they must be circumcised after the manner of Moses, 
 
 a A«t9 ii. S9. b Cal iii. 29, c GaL ir, 28. dActa riii, 37. 
 
BAPTISM. 257 
 
 or they could not be saved. Paul and Barnabas, after 
 they had no small disputation with these brethren, were 
 sent by the church at Antioch to confer with the apos- 
 tles and elders on the subject at Jerusalem. Now the 
 question on which they were sent was simply whether 
 the Gentiles must be circumcised ; and if circumcision 
 had been abolished in all the churches,' Jewish as well 
 as Gentile, how could the least doubt have remained on 
 the subject ? The apostles found some after they ar- 
 rived at Jerusalem, who contended that it was needful 
 to circumcise the Gentiles, and command them to keep 
 the law of Moses, It cannot be supposed that these 
 brethren could have deemed it the duty of the Gentile 
 brethren to receive circumcision, when they had not 
 received it, and did not practice it themselves. Here 
 then it is certain, after a large church had been estab- 
 lished at Jerusalem, part of them still held to the prac- 
 tice of circumcision, and were in fellowship with the 
 rest. Such of the Jews as believed and were circum- 
 cised were called the circumcision, and the Gentiles 
 the uncircumcision. The apostle Paul tells us that he 
 was sent to one of these classes, and the apostle Peter 
 to the other, " But contrariwise, when they saw that 
 the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto 
 me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter (for 
 he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship 
 of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me towards 
 the Gentiles.) And when James, Cephas, and John, 
 who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was 
 given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the 
 right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the 
 heathen, and they unto the circumcision."a In the 
 same chapter we have an account of the dissimulation 
 of Peter. Paul tells us that he was to be blamed, be- 
 cause previous to the coming of certain individuals 
 
 a-Oal. ii. 7—9. 
 
259 BAPTISM. 
 
 from James, he ate with the Gentiles, but after their 
 coming he withdrew. Here then we see Peter, one of 
 the apostles, who labored among the circumcision, or 
 the believing Jews, refusing to eat with the Gentiles. 
 But as a still more conclusive argument that circum- 
 cision was for some length of time practised in the 
 church at Jerusalem, we turn to the twenty-first chap- 
 ter of Acts. When Paul went to Jerusalem for the 
 last time, whicii was about the year A. D. 61, the great 
 charge that was brought against him, and for whicTi 
 he was persecuted, was that he had taught the Gen- 
 tiles, where he had been, not to circumcise their children. 
 " Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews 
 there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the 
 law. And they are informed of thee that thou teachest 
 all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake 
 Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their 
 children, neither to walk after the customs."a Here 
 then it is plain that thousands who believed in Christ 
 believed it a solemn duty to give «p their children to 
 God in circumcision, twenty-eight years after their estab- 
 lishment as a Christian church. Some of the apostles 
 were then, and had been from their establishment, labor- 
 ing among them. Nothing then can be more certain 
 than that circumcision was admitted by the apostles 
 among the Jews, while baptism was practiced among the 
 Gentiles. Perhaps some may object to this that the 
 apostle Paul declared to the Galatians that if they were 
 circumcised Christ would profit them nothing. To this 
 it may be replied that the apostle uniformly insisted that 
 believing Gentiles should be baptized. This also was 
 the decision of the council at Jerusalem, and this the 
 believers at Jerusalem admitted, at the time they were 
 so enraged with the apostle for teaching the Jews that 
 they ought not to circumcise their children. " As 
 
 a Acta xzi. 20, 21. 
 
BAPTISM. 259 
 
 touching' the Gentiles which believe we have written 
 and concluded that they observe no such thing."a But 
 the great reason why the apostle made this declaration 
 to the Galatians, while he admitted this rite in the Jew- 
 ish churches, was doubtless this : Certain corrupt 
 teachers were among the Galatians, endeavoring to 
 alienate their affections from the apostle. By these 
 teachers they were taught that it was their duty to 
 be circumcised and to observe all the sacrifices of the 
 
 former dispensation. The apostle saw that if they 
 were circumcised they would place no dependence on 
 the merits of Christ, but would depend entirely on their 
 own works. They had no correct views of the cove- 
 nant, but the believing Jews had. That it was owing 
 to the decision of that council concerning the circum- 
 cision of the Gentiles, and their mistaken views of the 
 object of circumcision, that he was unwilling that they 
 should be circumcised, is certain from the following 
 fact : It cannot be supposed that the apostle would be 
 willing, for the sake of gratifying the Jews, to place 
 Timothy where Christ wouldprofit him nothing. The 
 only remaining argument which we would suggest in 
 proof of the point before us, is the declaration of the 
 apostle Paul to the Corinthian church. This church 
 was composed of both Jews and Gentiles. The ques- 
 tion seems to have been agitated among them whether 
 baptism of itself was sufficient. As the Lord hath 
 called every one, so let him walk ; and so ordain I in 
 all churches. Is any man called, being circumcised ? 
 let him, not become uncircumcised ; is any called in 
 uncircumcision ? let him not become circumcised. "6 
 Unless the apostle does mean in this passage, that bap- 
 tism or circumcision either, if received with proper 
 views of the covenant, will answer every purpose, it is 
 
 . difficult, to say the least, to understand him. The argu- 
 
 a Acts xjl 2f . b\ Cer. Til. 17, I& 
 
260 BAPTISM. 
 
 ments then by which we would prove that baptism takes 
 the place of circumcision, are these : 
 
 1. There is no other rite to supply its place in the 
 church. 
 
 2. Baptism is enjoined upon men from the same 
 principle, and is a token of the same covenant, 
 
 3. Both are the seal of the righteousness of faith. 
 
 4. The mode of administration with both in many 
 respects is the same. And 
 
 Lastly, both were practised and admitted by the 
 apostles at the same time. To these it might be added 
 that they had both the same spiritual signification. 
 
 It is now left to the decision of the candid reader 
 whether the point before us is or is not proved ; and 
 if it be, is not the question relative to the admission of 
 the children of believers to the ordinance of baptism 
 established with equal clearness and certainty ? 
 We see not how the argument can be evaded. If 
 baptism does take the place of circumcision, and if the 
 Christian Church at Jerusalem, for twenty-eight years 
 at least, did admit and practice the circumcision of 
 children, as has now been proved, the baptism of chil- 
 dren must be admitted of course. 
 
 Another argument vwith which we prove that the 
 children of believers have a right to this ordinance is 
 drawn from . the perpetuity of the church. We can 
 scarcely conceive that a subject can be more explicitly 
 and definitely stated than the identity of the church, in 
 all ages, is stated in the Bible. The apostle Paul, 
 while addressing himself to the church at Rome, ob- 
 serves, " And if some of the branches be broken off, 
 and thou being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among 
 them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness 
 of the olive tree, boast not thyself against the branches ; 
 but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the 
 root thee. Thou wilt say then the branches were 
 
BAPTISM. 261 
 
 broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well, because 
 of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by 
 faith. Be not high minded, but fear ; for if God spared 
 not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare 
 not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity 
 of God ; on them which fell, severity ; but towards 
 thee goodness, if thou continue in his goodness ; other- 
 wise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they 
 abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in ; for God 
 is able to graff them in again. For it thou wert cut 
 out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert 
 graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how' 
 much more shall these which be natural branches be 
 graffed into their own olive tree V'a It is our firm and 
 unshaken belief that no explanation can be given of 
 this passage, which will satisfy the mind of any under- 
 standing and conscientious reader, which will not sup- 
 port decidedly the perpetuity of the church. If with 
 some we belieVe the root to be Christ, then the 
 patriarchs and prophets once stood in him, and were 
 connected with him.. If we believe that Abraham 
 and the rest of the patriarchs and prophets were the 
 root, because they enjoyed the covenants and pro- 
 mises, then when the Gentiles are graffed in as 
 branches of the same tree, they must be a part of the 
 same church. Or if we believe the root to be the 
 covenant made with Abraham, the same inference will 
 follow if possible with more clearness and certainty. 
 To his Ephesian brethren the apostle remarks, " Now 
 therefore," (since the partition wall is broken down and 
 we are both reconciled unto God in one body,) " Now 
 therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but 
 fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of 
 God ; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles 
 and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cor- 
 
 a Rom. li, 17—24. 
 12* 
 
262 BAPTISM. 
 
 ner stone : In whom all the building, fitly framed toge- 
 ther, groweth into an holy temple in the Lord."a When 
 the church is compared to the branches of a vine, and 
 as such represented as connected with the Lord Jesus,6 
 the Savior must have referred to the Jewish church. 
 The gospel dispensation had not commenced, the testa, 
 tor was not dead, and the seal could not as yet be bro- 
 ken from the new covenant. Besides, the Lord Jesus 
 Christ is expressly called a minister of circumcision.c 
 The church is every where represented as one. 
 " Christ is head over all things to the church."d " As 
 •Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. "e Such 
 phraseology is adopted uniformly throughout the Bible. 
 Moses, it is said, " was that prophet which was in the 
 church in the wilderness. '^ It was said in prophecy 
 that the Lord Jesus Christ should come to Zion : " And 
 shall come to his temple."g Many things that belong 
 to the manner of worship mnder the former dispensa- 
 tion are abrogated, and others are changed ; but the 
 church itself remains the same. The only objection 
 of importance that is ever made to this sentiment that 
 the church in all ages is the same, is the imperfection 
 of the Jewish church. It is thought to be derogatory 
 to the character of the Redeemer that a church so cor- 
 rupt should be his, or belong to what is called his body. 
 But let the serious reader look at the Old Testament 
 church during the worst apostacies in its whole history, 
 and see if he can discover any thing that will exceed 
 the corruption of the Christian church during the sixth 
 or seventh century. But in both •' They are not all 
 Israel that are of Israel." As great purity of life was 
 required under the old as under the new dispensation. 
 The command given to Abraham, when the covenant 
 of grace was established with him, was, " Walk before 
 
 a Eph. ii. 19—81. b John xv. 1—5. c Eom. xt. S. d Eph. 1. 8S. < Eph. T. 26. 
 /A£Urii. ^. g- Ln. lix. i}9. Mai. iii. 1. 
 
BAPTISM. 263 
 
 me, and be thou perfect."a Does not the law require a 
 service as spiritual as any that can be found in the New 
 Testament ? We do not see but that it must be admit- 
 ted that the church in all ages is the same. The infer- 
 ence from this sentiment in favor of the point before us, 
 the baptism of children, is plain. If the church be the 
 same in all ages, and if children were once admitted to 
 an ordinance which held the same place in the church 
 that baptism does now, must they not be admitted to 
 baptism ? What could our Savior mean by the de- 
 claration, " The kingdom of God shall be taken from 
 you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits 
 thereof,"& unless it be this : You have the form and the 
 privileges of the church now," but they shall be taken 
 from you, and given to the Gentiles. Another argu- 
 ment in proof that chilc^en should be baptized is de- 
 rived from the practice of the immediate descendants 
 of the apostles. ^ Irenaeus, who lived in the second cen- 
 tury, and was well acquainted with Polycarp, who 
 was John's disciple, declares expressly that the church 
 learned to i^tize childrenfrom the apostles. 
 
 Origen, in the third century, testifies to the same 
 point. In the year A. D. 254, only about one hundred 
 and sixty years from the death of St. John, a council 
 of sixty-six ministers was called to determine whether 
 children might be baptized before or after they were 
 eight days old. In a discussion which continued some 
 days, there was not a suggestion but what it was a duty 
 to baptize them ; but the simple question was whether 
 they must be baptized when they were precisely eight 
 days old. It would seem morally impossible for the 
 whole church to have changed its practice in one hun- 
 dred and sixty years, so that a vestige should not remain 
 of its former opinions^ Ambrose, whQ wrote in about 
 270 after the apostles, declares th^t the baptism of 
 
 a Gan. xril. |. ^ lUaL xzl. 4^ 
 
264 BAPTISM. 
 
 children had been the practice of the apostles. It is 
 said by Dr. Wall, upon the most careful inquiry, that 
 until the year 1522, there is not so much as a man to 
 be found who has spoken against infant baptism, except 
 a small number in France, in the twelfth century, who 
 denied the possibility of their Salvation. But this sect 
 soon disappeared. Tertullian, who lived about one 
 hundred years after the apostles, advised to the delay 
 of baptism, not because it was not a duty to baptize 
 children, but because he imagined that sins committed 
 after baptism were unpardonable. Could it have been 
 so uniform a custom with the immediate descendants 
 of the apostles to baptize their children, had they not 
 received the institution from the apostles themselves ? 
 Further proof might be obtained from those passages 
 which are usually brought forward in this controversy, 
 and from the fact that households were baptized by 
 the apostles, would our limits admit ; but fearing that 
 we shall extend this article to an undue length, we will 
 only refer the reader to some Scriptures be may profit- 
 ably consult on the subject.a 
 
 Q. V. Is not something required of the subject, in 
 order to baptism, of which infants are not capable ? 
 
 A. Nothing more is required of the subject for bap- 
 tism than for circumcision. It was required of Abra- ■ 
 ham that he should believe. The apostle tells us that 
 he received circumcision as a seal oi the I'ighteousness 
 of the faith which he had, being yet uncircumcised. 
 When adults who have never been baptized receive 
 this ordinance, is it not a token of the faith which they 
 have being unbaptized ? This is uniformly the case 
 with adults. That faith should be required of adults 
 does by no means prove but that children, as in the 
 case of circumcision may be admitted on the faith of 
 their parents. Something is required of every indi- 
 
 u 1 Cor. 7ii. 14. 2 Tim. 1. S. Acts ivi. 15. 1 Cor. i. IS, 
 
BAPTISM. 265 
 
 vidual indiscriminately, in order to salvatibn, of which 
 infants are not capable ; but no person would contend 
 from this that they cannot be saved. " He that believ- 
 eth not shall be damned."a 
 
 Q. VI. Can it be right to baptize children without 
 an explicit command for doing it ? 
 
 A. There are many things, which are acknowledged 
 by all serious Christians to be duty, for which we can 
 find no explicit command. Female communion and the 
 observance of the first day of the week are oif this char- 
 acter. Infant baptism stands on the same ground as 
 the christian Sabbath. The apostles took the Sabbath 
 as they found it, only observing a different day, to com- 
 memorate the resurrection of Christ. The institution, 
 though changed in regard to the day on which it is 
 observed, remains substantially the same. They found 
 the church in the practice of dedicating her children. 
 This institution they continued, only changing the mode 
 of dedication from circumcision to baptism. With far 
 greater propriety we might urge the opposers of infant 
 baptism to show an express abrogation of infant dedi- 
 cation. It would be absurd to expect an express com- 
 mand for their dedication, while an institution to that 
 amount already existed. The question under conside- 
 ration is amply answered in what we have already 
 said, showing that baptism takes the place of circum- 
 ision. If baptism, as we have already proved, does 
 take the place of circumcision, which was once the 
 seal of the covenant, the children of believers must be 
 admitted to that ordinance which is now the seal of 
 the same covenant. 
 
 Q. VII. If baptism take the place of circumcision, 
 what authority have we for baptizing females ? 
 
 A. 1. This authority is derived from two sources. 
 It is a fact that females, though they did not themselves 
 
 a Mark xri. 18. 
 
266 
 
 BAPTISM. 
 
 receive a mark of dedication to God under the former 
 dispensation, were considered as standing in the males. 
 No uncircumcised person was allowed to eat the pass- 
 over, yet that females partook of it will not be disputed. 
 2. We derive our authority to baptize females from 
 the apostles. " They were baptized, both men and 
 women."a! If we are required to produce authority for 
 admitting females to the table, or for observing the first 
 day of the week as the Sabbath, we have no other au- 
 thority that we can produce except the example of the 
 apostles. And in the case of female communion we 
 have no express account that they were admitted by 
 the apostles. We are obliged to depend on an infar- 
 •ence that we draw from the history of their labors. 
 With regard to the Sabbath, the apostles, while under 
 the influence of divine inspiration, were led to observe 
 the first instead of the seventh day of the week ; yet it 
 was the Sabbath still, as really as before this change. 
 So it was with the case before us. A rite by which 
 children were dedicated to God was changed by them, 
 and aiter its change it was applied ^o both sexes in- 
 stead of one. To this they undoubtedly considered 
 themselves as expressly directed by the great Redeem- 
 er. In that command which may be said to contain 
 their commission, " Go ye, therefore, and teach all na- 
 tions, baptizing them in the name,"& &c. they were war- 
 ranted in the com se they pursued. Having always been 
 taught the important duty of dedicating children, it was 
 natural for them to understand it as a command to go 
 and disciple, or bring over to the faith, all nations, ob- 
 serving this change in the mode of affixing the seal of 
 discipleship ; instead of circumcision they were to use 
 baptism. As this was a seal which might be applied 
 to both sexes with equal convenience, it certainly can- 
 not be supposed that its application to both will evince 
 
 a Acti riii. 12. i Mitt, xirili. 19. 
 
BAPTISM. 267 
 
 it to be the seal of a different covenant, and one de- 
 signed to answer an entirely different purpose in the 
 church. How can we believe that they could have 
 understood the Savior as cutting off at a stroke the in- 
 fant seed of believers from all the blessings of the 
 covenant, and not a single remark have been excited 
 by the decision ? From the known enmity and bitter- 
 ness of the Jews, can it be supposed that an innovation, 
 so important as they would have deemed this, would 
 have passed entirely unnoticed ? 
 • Q,. VIII. Did not the covenant made with Abraham 
 include temporal blessings, and was not circumcision 
 a mark of national descent ? 
 
 A. It has often appeared to us not a little surprising 
 that this objection should ever be deemed as weighty 
 as it often is. It is true that temporal mercies were 
 included in the promise ; but if this be an evidence that 
 the covenant itself is purely temporal, what shall we 
 say of the gospel, which the aposlle tells us " hath the 
 promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to 
 come ?" But let us inquire how the apostle understood 
 this promise. It is a common, but important remark, 
 that Scripture is the best interpreter of itself. The 
 promise made to Abraham was as follows : " And I 
 will establish my covenant between me and thee, and 
 thy seed after thee in their generations, for an ever- 
 lasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and thy seed 
 after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed 
 after thee, all the land wherein thou art a stranger, all 
 the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and 
 I will be their God."a With regard to the first part of 
 this promise, " I will be a God unto thee and to thy 
 seed after thee," and the latter clause, " I will be their 
 God,'' there can scarcely be a doubt but that it refers 
 to mercies of a spiritual nature. In the thirty-sixth 
 
 aQ»D. xxvtl. 7,8. 
 
268 BAPTISM. 
 
 chapter of Ezekiel, where we find one of the most un- 
 equivocal promises of the future glory of the church, 
 in which God promises the children of Israel that he 
 will cleanse them from all their idols, give them a new 
 heart, put his Spirit within them, cause them to walk ifk 
 his statutes, and bring them into the land which he gave 
 to theif fathers, he closes this list of mercies with an 
 expression borrowed from the covenant made with 
 Abraham : " And ye shall be my people, and I will be 
 your God."a When St. John saw the new Jerusalem 
 come down from God out of heaven, he heard a greaft 
 voice, saying, " Behold the tabernacle of God is with 
 men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be 
 his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be 
 their God"b Can a doubt remain whether this promise 
 refers to spiritual things ? Concerning that part of the 
 promise in which the land of Israel is mentioned, it is 
 equally certain that the apostles understood it as re- 
 ferring to the heavenly Canaan. Of Abraham it is said 
 by Stephen, " And he gave him none inheritance m 
 it, no, not so much as to set his foot on ; yet he pro- 
 mised that he would give it to him for a possession, and 
 to his seed after him."c The apostle tells us that 
 '* Abraham, when he was called to go out into the land 
 which he should after receive for an inheritance, 
 obeyed. * * By faith he sojourned in the land of 
 promise as in a strange country ;" tut he indulges no 
 suspicion but that God will faithfully fulfil his promise, 
 for he adds, " For he looked for a city which hath 
 foundations, whose builder and maker is God." It was 
 in that city that he saw the fulfilment of the promise. 
 Again he adds, concerning the offspring of Abraham, 
 " These all died in faith, not having received the pro- 
 mises, but having seen them afar off, and were per- 
 suaded of them, atid embraced them, and confessed that 
 
 a Esek. xzxri. 25—28. b E«r. zzi. 2. c AcM rii. S. 
 
BAFTISM. 269 
 
 th^y were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."a The 
 reader is desired to read this chapter to the seventeenth 
 verse, and then decide, with honesty and seriousness, 
 whether the covenant made with Abraham referred 
 wholly to temporal blessings. We are surprised to 
 hear it said that circumcision is a mark of national 
 descent merely, when the apostle, as we have already 
 seen, declared it to be a seal of the righteousness of 
 faith."b It doubtless came eventually to be considered 
 as answering the purposes of a mark of national descent. 
 This however was merely a natural consequence from 
 the peculiar circumstances of the Jews. They were 
 the only people who had the forms of true religion on 
 earth. Their government was a kind of theocracy. 
 They had no other laws but such as they had received 
 directly from God. To illustjate this subject, and show 
 what we mean by saying it was a natural consequence, 
 let us suppose that the religion of Christ had been 
 embraced by the inhabitants of one of the South Sea 
 islands. The inhabitants of every other island about 
 them remain in idolatry. Being entirely destitute of 
 any rational or jus.t government, they resolve to be 
 governed by the laws contained in the Bible. In the 
 Bible, they learn that it is the duty of every individual 
 to repeat and be baptized, and suppose that they under- 
 stand, from the reason which is assigned, " the promise 
 is to you and your children," that this is the ordinance 
 by which their children were to be received into the 
 same relation to them and the church, as that in which 
 Jewish children stood by their circumcision. Now 
 after they had practised upon these principles a num- 
 ber of years, their baptism will become, as a natural 
 consequence, a mark of national distinction. Every 
 person who has received this mark will be considered 
 as belonging to that island or nation. This however 
 
 a Heb. xL S, 9, 13,-16. b Horn. iv. II. * 
 
270 BAPTISM. 
 
 every person must see was not the object for which they 
 adopted the institution. They adopted it as a seal of 
 the covenant. 
 
 Q. IX. If baptism take the place of circumcision as 
 an ordinance in the church, vfhy should not the chil- 
 dren of believers be admitted to the table of the 
 Lord? 
 
 A. Although this is thought to be an objection of 
 great weight, there are some things which those who 
 urge it must have overlooked. Although children of 
 all ages received the first passover, yet it is evident 
 that they did not understand the command as requiring 
 parents afterward ever to bring their children till they 
 were twelve years old. When our Lord was twelve 
 years old, his parents took him up to the least of the 
 passover, " according ta the manner of the feast."a 
 Although his parents went yearly, when he was twelve 
 years of age, and not before, did the custom of the feast 
 require them to bring him. This is also a,ccording to 
 Hircanus in Josephus, B. 12, chap. 4. This feast was 
 provided for such as were old enough to inquire, " What 
 mean ye by this service V and pre.sent with their hands 
 an offering to God.6 
 
 But if we suppose that children were uniformly 
 admitted to the passover, it does by no means follow 
 that they are to be admitted to the table of the Lord. 
 Circumcision was a token of the Ahrahamic covenant. 
 
 The psssover was a rite purely Mosaic, or in other 
 words it belonged to the Sinai covenant. Circumcision 
 was practised, as a token of the covenant, more than 
 four hundred years before the passover existed. It is 
 then undeniably certain that the object for which circum- 
 cision was given was not as a preparation for the pass- 
 over. Circumcision, the Savior tells us, " Was not of 
 Moses, but of the fathers." The ceremonial law, with 
 
 a Luke it. 42. b Ex. zii. 2&— 23- Deut. zri. 16, 17, 
 
BAPTISM. 271 
 
 all its rites, was superseded by the gospel ; but the 
 Abrahamic covenant remains. 
 
 " And this I say, that the covenant that was con- 
 firmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four 
 hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul that it 
 should make the promise of none effect."a If circum- 
 cision existed, and the object for which it was given 
 was accomplished four hundred years before the ex- 
 istence of the passover, on the supposition that children 
 by virtue of their circumcision were admitted to the 
 passover, it affords not the least argument that by vir- 
 tue of baptism they may be admitted to another rite. 
 There is a sense in which it may be said that the Lond's 
 supper holds the same place in the church that was 
 held by the passover, and yet every person may see 
 that the objects for which they were appointed were 
 entirely different. Both give an opportunity of uniting 
 in the expression of friendship to each other, and of 
 gratitude to God ; but while the passover only com- 
 memorates a signal deliver9.nce, the Lord's supper is 
 designed to commemorate the sufferings and death of 
 Christ. 
 
 Q. X, What benefit can it be to children to have 
 them baptized ? 
 
 A. As this is an objection with which we often meet, 
 charity would lead us to believe that its impiety is not 
 seen by those who -make it. The question which is 
 more becoming us is whether it be a divine ordinance. 
 If, as we trust we have already proved, this ordinance 
 takes the place of circumcision, it is plain that we might 
 with the same propriety inquire what good resulted 
 from circumcision. To a question like this the apostle 
 has furnished us with an answer. " What profit in 
 there in circumcision ? Much every way. Chiefly be- 
 cause unto them were committed the oracles of God." 
 
 ■ Gal. iil. 17. 
 
272 BAPTISM. 
 
 " For what if some did not believe ! Shall their unbe- 
 lief make the faith of God without effect ? God for- 
 bid."a The apostle here very happily meets the identi- 
 cal objection that is made to the baptism of children. 
 What if some who receive this ceremony do not be- 
 lieve ? Does their unbelief prove that the same rite 
 may not in other cases be an important means of grace 1 
 If some children, who have received the ordinance of 
 baptism, continue in unbelief till they perish, how does 
 that prove but that in other cases it is the means of 
 salvation ? Further, this question may be answered 
 by taking another view of the subject. In the covenant 
 which exists between the believing parent and God, 
 there is an engagement upon the side of both parties. 
 The parent engages to walk before God and be faith- 
 ful, while the great Jehovah on his part is pleased in 
 mercy to promise that he will be a God to the parent 
 and to hfs seed. Baptism is a seal or token of this 
 agreement. In addition to other important purposes, 
 this seal, by being placed upon the forehead of his child, 
 can scarcely fail to remind him, every time he casts 
 his eye upon his child, of the solemn obligation he has 
 taken upon himself. The only question that remains 
 now to be settled is this : Will that parent be more 
 likely to pray for his child and feel the importance of 
 instructing him for God, who has solemnly promised 
 to do it, and who by a significant and instructive token 
 is continually reminded of that promise, than if he had 
 not made this engagement, and had no monitor of this 
 kind to remind him of his duty ? If means are impor- 
 tant in other cases, this question must be answered in 
 the affirmative. There is no one who conscientiously 
 believes in the Bible, but what believes in the impor- 
 tance or the use of means. And why should we make 
 a profession, and solemnly covenant to be faithful in 
 
 a Rom. iii 1 — 3. 
 
BAPTISM. 273 
 
 the service of God, if we are not naore likely to do it 
 in consequence of such an engagement ? 
 
 But let us view this subject in reference to facts. 
 With regard to these the author can state only the 
 results of his own observation, assuring. the reader that 
 so far as he has had an opportunity of consulting his 
 brethren, he finds their experience to be as favorable 
 to the doctrine of infant baptism as his own. The 
 author has been permitted to witness three general, 
 revivals of religion. Among those who were called, 
 as we trust, by a " holy calling," the number of such 
 as had received baptism in their childhood, when com- 
 pared with such as had not, were on an average more 
 than four to one. Now if we call to mind that there 
 are double the number of children at least who have 
 not received this ordinance to those who have, in those 
 places where these revivals have existed, we shall see 
 that the result is stjll more favorable to this institution. 
 The result is, that the prospects of those children that 
 are given up in this ordinance, when compared to those 
 who are not, are as eight to one. If it should be said 
 that such children are within the hearing of the gospel, 
 and are the subjects of other means, and that this is the 
 reason, rather than because they are in the covenant, 
 that they are converted, it is readily admitted that the 
 reason why they are converted is because they are 
 favored with these means, and from this principle is 
 it not evident that the more solemnly the parent binds 
 himself, and of course the more faithful he is in the use 
 of means, especially such as prayer and religious in- 
 struction, the more favorable is the prospect that his 
 children will be made heirs of the grace of God ? 
 
 Q. XI. If the covenant made with Abraham was a 
 covenant of grace, why did it not secure the salvation 
 of all his literal seed ? 
 
 A. We have already observed that there was an 
 
274 BAPTISM. 
 
 engagement on the. part of Abraham, and so after him 
 on that of every believing parent, as well as on the 
 part of God. If Abraham, or any other believing pa, 
 rent fail of fulfilling his engagement, though he himself 
 may be saved, the salvation of his children, on the 
 ground of the promise, cannot be inferred from -the 
 covenant. Men may be the subjects of grace, and be 
 finally saved, who are very imperfect. The promise 
 does not secure the salvation of all the children of such 
 as are merely Christians. On the other hand, though 
 the salvation of children cannot be certainly inferred 
 from the covenant, in those cases where parents are 
 unfaithful, still as there are degrees of holiness, the pa- 
 rent may be more faithful, though he fall far short of 
 his engagements, and God may be more likely to call 
 in his children, than if he had never taken this covenant 
 upon himself. But this question is more summarily 
 and conclusively answered by the apostle : " What if 
 some did not believe 1 Shall their unbelief make the 
 faith of God without effect ?"a 
 
 Q.. XII. If baptism take the place of circumcision, 
 then will it not follow that children are members of 
 the church, and ought to be considered as proper sub- 
 jects of its discipline ? 
 
 A. All that we have attempted to prove is that child- 
 ren are now, and were under the former dispensation, 
 in covenant with their parents. There are different 
 opiniorfs, it is well known, on the question whether 
 children are members of the church. We are inclined 
 to think that the affirmative cannot be supported from 
 the Bible. Baptism as we understand it, is a seal or 
 token of the engagement into which the believing parent 
 enters with God. The object of this engagement, so 
 far as the child on whom the token is placed is con- 
 cerned, is that the great Jehovah may be to him a God, 
 
 oBom. iii. 1 — S> 
 
BAPTISM. 275 
 
 and the child become one of his children ; in other 
 words, that he may become a Christian. This is what 
 God in great mercy has promised, on condition that 
 the parentis laithful ; and we have already shown 
 that although the parent may fall vastly short of being 
 perfect, yet if he make this engagement in faith, and is 
 often led by it to commend his child to God in prayer, 
 his child will be far more likely to become the subject 
 of these blessings, than if no such engagement were 
 made. Now to be a member of the church is to be 
 in profession a Christian. But the object of baptism 
 is not to mark or designate the child as being already a 
 Christian, but to show that his parent believes in God, 
 has entered into a covenant with him, to pray for his 
 child, and instruct him for God, that he may be a 
 Christian. If we say that infants are members of the 
 church, we say that the object for which they are bap-f 
 tized is already accomplished ; whereas the nature of 
 the covenant pre-supposes a time of trial before, even 
 if we are faithful, we can expect it. However young 
 a child may be who gives satisfactory evidence of faith 
 in Christ, we do not baptize him» if his parent become 
 a believer at the same time, on account of the faith of 
 his parent, but on acount of his own. Did we believe 
 that baptism is regeneration, it might be proper to con- 
 sider baptized children as professed Christians, and treat 
 them as such ; but so long as we view their baptism as 
 pointing forward to their conversion, and as an impor- 
 tant means, when viewed in all its connections, of 
 bringing it about, to treat them as Christians!, or as 
 members of the church, must be manifestly improper. 
 This view of the subject must show us that baptism, as 
 it respects our children, is a solemn and important duty. 
 The objection to which these remarks are designed as 
 an answer has no bearing upon the views which we 
 have stated ; still, though children are not made mem- 
 
276 BAPTISM. 
 
 bers of the church by baptism, it is an important means 
 to bring about their conversion and salvation. Can a 
 parent, while it is within his power to do anything 
 which he may have good reason to believer will be in- 
 strumental to the salvation of his children, rest content- 
 ed till it be done ? Every parent that has correct views 
 of the covenant, if he sincerely regard the future well 
 being of his children, cannot rest till he has given them 
 up to God, and has the testimony of his own conscience 
 that he issendeavoring to live according to his engage- 
 ments. 
 
 Q. XIII. What is the mode in which baptism is to 
 be administered ? 
 
 A, It is believed it never was the design of the Holy 
 Spirit to represent any particular mode as essential 
 to baptism. It is certain that many things about 
 the mode in which other rites are to be performed 
 are represented as not being essential. The posture 
 in which the Lord's supper is to be received, the quan- 
 tity of bread or wine to be received, and many other 
 things, are of this character. With regard to the ques- 
 tion before us there are but two opinions which claim 
 the attention of the inquirer: 
 
 1. That immersion is essential to baptism. 
 
 2. TJuit no particular mode, nor any specified quan- 
 tity of water, is necessary to render it valid. 
 
 To show that the first of these opinions cannot be 
 correct, we remark, 
 
 1. That there are no instances of baptism recorded 
 in the Bible, in which it might not have been performed 
 by sprinkling, pouring, or affusion. It is not impossi- 
 ble, in the case of Philip and the eunuch, but that after 
 they both went down into the water, the eunuch was 
 baptized by pouring. Although some of the circumstan- 
 ces in this, as in many other cases, seem to render it pro- 
 bable that baptism was performed by immersion, such as 
 
BAPTISM. 277 
 
 their going down into the water, yet there are circum- 
 stances attending all these cases which apparently mili- 
 tate against that opinion. It is not said in any of these 
 cases, that the subject was put under water, unless it 
 be inferred fron* the meaning of the word baptize, to 
 which we shall attend in its proper place. Neither do 
 we read of any change of raiment, which, both con- 
 venience and health would have rendered necessary, 
 had baptism in these cases been performed by im- 
 mersion. 
 
 There are many instances recorded, in which it 
 would be difficult if not utterly impossible to conceive 
 how it could have been done by immersion. Such as 
 the baptism of the jailer and his household, who were 
 baptized in the night, without leaving his house.a The 
 same remarks are applicable to the baptisms on the 
 day of pentecost. After all the ingenious inventions 
 which have been contrived to assist the apostles,' 
 (which, by the way, we have not a particle of evidence 
 existed at that time,) it seems incredible that three 
 thousand should have been baptized by the apostles in 
 the city of Jerusalem in one day. 
 
 3. The word baptize, is sometimes used by the wri- 
 ters of the Bible tbhen they could not have meant by it 
 immersion. The burden of argument in proof that 
 immersion and that only is baptism is derived from the 
 word baptize. Without attempting to show the mean- 
 ing of the word from which the word baptize is trans- 
 lated, we shall pursue a different, and it is believed a 
 safer course. If it were true that the literal meaning 
 of the word baptize were immerse, still it must be proved 
 that it is used in the Bible in its literal sense, before 
 any thing is done toward proving that immersion only 
 is baptism. The literal meaning of the word that is 
 rendered spirit, is wind -, but the effect must be seen at 
 
 a Acts xvi. 30—38. 
 13 
 
278 BAPTISM. 
 
 once, if we were to contend that it is never used in any- 
 other sense in the Bible. The important inquiry with 
 us is what was the meaning affixed to the word bap- 
 tize by the writers of the Biblei ? From some circum- 
 stances that we have already noticed it would appear 
 that baptism might have been performed by immersion, 
 and from others it would seem impossible that the per- 
 sons who were baptized could have been immersed. 
 
 In the seventh chapter of Mark the word is used in 
 circumstances which render it impossible for it to mean 
 immersion. From the third verse it is undeniably 
 evident that the baptizing here mentioned is simply a 
 washing. " And many other things there be which 
 they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, 
 and pots, and brazen vessels, and tables." The word 
 rendered washings in this passage also is baptisms. 
 We can easily conceive how cups and pots in washing 
 may be immersed ; but the immersion of tables, espe- 
 cially for that purpose, would be more difficult. And 
 when we remember that the word rendered tables is 
 literally beds, it must appear impossible that the word 
 baptism should have been used to mean immersion. 
 The apostle Paul in giving an account of the ceremo- 
 nies of the Jewish economy, observes, " Which stood 
 in meats and drinks, and divers washings," orbaptisms.a 
 Now when we look back to these ablutions, which the 
 apostle calls baptisms, we can find no one instance in 
 which there is a word used that will answer to the 
 word immerse, excepting the word dip. But it is to be 
 observed that this word is used in such a sense in every 
 case as to place it beyond a doubt that the thing dipped 
 was not immersed. " And ye shall take a bunch of 
 hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin."6 
 t Now it is plain that nothing more than the tops of the 
 hyssop were immersed in the blood, because the only 
 
 «Hcb, ix. 10. iEz. xii. 32, 
 
BAPTISM. 279 
 
 object in dipping it was that the blood might be sprin- 
 kled. " As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the 
 cedar wood, and the scarlet. Shd the hyssop, and dip 
 them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that 
 was killed over the running water."a! Here it must be 
 plain to every one that a stick of cedar wood, a branch 
 of hyssop, and a living bird, could not have been im- 
 mersed in the blood of a single dead one. There are 
 six other places among the rural washings where the 
 word dip is used ; but in every one of the six it is 
 plain that immersion could not have been meant. 
 
 But with regard to the word sprinkle it is used in 
 almost e^ery case of typical cleansing.^ These are 
 the Washings Which the apostle calls baptism ; and if 
 his authority can be relied on, immersion is not essen- 
 tial to baptism. 
 
 2. A few remarks will now be made with a view to 
 show that the quantity of water is not essential to the 
 validity of this ordinance. It is readily admitted that 
 the word /Sair-ri^w,' from which the word baptize is trans- 
 lated, means to wash. -All those passages in which the 
 cleansing of Ihe Spirit is compared to baptism, are evi- 
 dence in proof of this. But the question is, by what 
 means is this washing to be performed ; whether by 
 applying the water to the subject, as in every other case, 
 or the subject to the water, as in immersion ? 
 
 It is a fact with the Lord's supper that although it 
 is called a supper or feast, there is no one who believies 
 that an acceptable participation depends on the quan- 
 tity received. The general course of reasoning on 
 this point is this : If a piece of bread be received not 
 exceeding an inch square, it is sufficient. It is a per- 
 fect representation of eating. We feel satisfied that 
 every purpose is accomplished that could be by the 
 
 oLev. xiT. 8. SLev. ir. 6i Ch. xvii. 6. Num. xii. 18. I.6T. vii. 14. Num. xir. 
 31. Lsr. ziv. 7, tl, &c. 
 
280 BAPTISM, 
 
 reception of a full meal. Why may we not with equal 
 propriety conclude that when a sufficient quantity of 
 water is applied in baptism to exhibit a perfect repre- 
 sentation of washing, the design of the institution is 
 fully accomplished ? Is it not a fact that is obvious to 
 the feeblest capacity, that when a small quantity of 
 water is applied to the subject, with a trifling degree 
 of friction, such as is common in every case of cleans- 
 ' ing, there is a representation of cleansing far more per- 
 fect than when the subject is entirely immersed ? No- 
 thing can be more evident from the Bible than that 
 baptism among other things is designed to be a repre- 
 sentation of cleansing. " That he might sanctify it, 
 [i. e. the church,] having cleansed it with the washing 
 of water by the word."a' Now what greatly con- 
 firms this argument drawn from analogy, is the fact 
 that immersion is not used for cleansing in the whole 
 Bible, whereas the word sprinkle is used with this ex- 
 press design in a great number of instances.ft The 
 blood of Christ is called the blood of sprinkling. We 
 have already seen that the various ablutions which 
 were attached to the Jewish economy were performed 
 by sprinkling and affusion. It was doubtless in the 
 application of water by sprinkling that the children of 
 Israel were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in 
 the sea.c What still further corroborates this opinion, 
 is the fact that we are told in prophecy that this is 
 the mode which is to be adopted in those future days 
 of prosperity which are promised the church. " Then 
 will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be 
 clean."£? " So shall he sprinkle many nations."e To 
 what universal and religious ceremony can this allude 
 which is to be performed by sprinkling ? It is thought 
 by some who would evade the conclusion to which it 
 
 o Eph. T. 26. b L«T, xiT. 7. Num, Tiii. 7. c 1 Ccr. x. 2, d Ezek. zzxri. 25 
 elSfi, Ui. 16i 
 
BAPTISM. 381 
 
 would naturally lead us, that it refers to some of the wash- 
 ings of the Mosaic ritual. But if we look with candor at 
 the context, we shall be convinced that this must be a 
 mistake. The prophet refers to a period when the 
 Jews shall be gathered out of all countries and brought 
 into their own land, and when they shall be cleansed 
 from all their idols, and shall have a new heart and a 
 new spirit within them. If there be a promise in the 
 Bible that would lead us to hope for some glorious 
 displays of divine grace at some future day, this is 
 one. At that time, when the Jews shall come in with 
 the fullness of the Gentiles, it is said that the Jews 
 shall be sprinkled with clean water. But we trust 
 enough has been said to show that immersion is not 
 essential to baptism, but when water is applied by a 
 proper officer, in the name of the Trinity, every pur- 
 pose is accorpplished for which this rite was designed. 
 Q. XIV. Is not baptism represented as a burial ? 
 ,A. The passages to which this question refers are 
 the following : " Buried with Christ by baptism into 
 his death," and " Buried with him in baptism."a There 
 is nothing in these passages, as we conceive, that re- 
 fers to the mode of baptism. The burial alludes to the 
 effects, not to the mode. By baptism we are in pro- 
 fession buried from the world and connected with 
 Christ. As he died, so by our baptism we become 
 professedly dead to the world and buried with him. If 
 any one is still tenacious of the opinion that here is an 
 allusion to the mode of baptism, by which we ought 
 to be governed in forming our views of that ordinance, 
 what must he think of the verse previous to this pass- 
 age, as it is found in Colossians ? " In whom also ye 
 are circumcised with the circumcision made without 
 hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by 
 the circumcision of Christ." From this passage is it 
 
 a Bom. Ti, 4. Ool. ii. 13. 
 
282 BAPTISM. 
 
 not plain that we infer the same truth, that we are 
 professedly dead unto sin ; and from aught that ap- 
 pears, we are to be governed as much by one in our 
 views of duty as the other? 
 
 If it be still thought that there is something to be 
 learned from this figurative representation concerning 
 the mode of baptism, we would only inquire why we 
 may not learn something more clear and convincing 
 on the same subject from that numerous class of pas- 
 sages which speak of our being " cleansed by sprin- 
 kling," " sprinkling of his blood," " sprinkling of clean 
 water," &c, 1 
 
 Passages that speak of our being cleansed by 
 sprinkling are numerous. Are we to learn nothing 
 from them concerning the mode in which that ordi- 
 nance is to be administered, by which spiritual cleans- 
 ing is represented ? 
 
 Q. XV. Was not our Savior baptized by immersion, 
 and is it not our duty to follow him ? 
 
 A. That our Savior was baptized by immersion is 
 extremely doubtful, for the following reasons ; 1. " Je- 
 sus being baptized came up out of the water."a The 
 word aifo, from which out of is translated, is almost 
 uniformly translated /rom. 
 
 2. The Savior was baptized at^the same age when 
 the sons of Levi were inducted into the high priest's 
 oflice. " From thirty years old and upward they were 
 numbered to minister at the altar."& " Our Savior, 
 when he began to be about thirty years of age, was 
 baptized."c The apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the 
 Hebrews, tells us that " Christ did not glorify himself 
 to be made a high priest, but he that said unto him, 
 thou art my Son ; this day have I begotten thee."d 
 Here it is asserted that the Father glorified him by 
 making him a high priest when he said " Thou art my 
 
 a Mat. iii, 16. t Num. ir. 3, 23, 30, 3S. c Luke iii. SI, 23. d Heb. r. 6. 
 
BAPTISM. 283 
 
 Son ; this day have I begotten thee," which was at 
 his baptism. To this point is the Savior's reply to 
 John : " Suffer it to be so now ; for thus it becometh 
 us to fulfil all righteousness."a Now if the Savior 
 was baptized at the same age as the Jewish high 
 priest, and was made a high priest when he was bap- 
 tized, and if he himself demanded to be baptized, that 
 he might fulfil all righteousness, what more evidence 
 do we want to satisfy us that he was baptized, after 
 the same manner ? They were consecrated to their 
 offices by being washed with water while standing at 
 the door of the tabernacle, and by being anointed with 
 oil. This washing was performed by a laver of brass, 
 and of course could be nothing more than the 
 washing of the hands and face.6 The Savior, when 
 he was baptized with water, was anointed with the 
 Holy Spirit. But if it still be believed that our Savior 
 was immersed, it cannot afford any evidence that in 
 this respect we are to follow him. We have seen 
 that his baptism was his induction into the high priest's 
 office, after he had waited till he was thirty years old. 
 It is also a fact that he could not have been baptized 
 in the name of the Trinity, and that his baptism and 
 every thing pertaining to it were under the Jewish 
 dispensation. In addition to all this there is no possi- 
 ble command or intimation that it is our duty ; is not 
 the notion that we must follow him in baptism rather 
 visionary than real ? It is unquestionably our duty to 
 follow Christ, but not in those rites which were attached 
 to the dispensation under which he lived ; but in that 
 vast majority of his conduct which had no reference to 
 rites and ceremonies. The spirit which he manifested 
 was ever the same, and in this we are solemnly bound 
 to imitate him. 
 Q. XVI. Was John's baptism Christian baptism 1 
 
 a Mat. iii. 15. b Ex,'»iz. 1. zzz. 9 , 
 
284 BAPTISM. 
 
 A. The baptism administered by John we cannot 
 consider Christian baptism, for the following reasons : 
 
 1. John's baptism was a rite preparatory to the re- 
 ception of spiritual blessings. " I indeed baptize you 
 with water unto repentance, but he shall baptzie you 
 with the Holy Ghost and with fire."a 
 
 2. John's baptism was confined to the Jews. "Then 
 went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the 
 region round about Jordan, and were baptised of him 
 in Jordan, confessing their sins."& But Christian bap- 
 tism was to be applied to Gentiles as well as Jews. 
 
 'Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them," 
 
 &C.C 
 
 3. We have no account of any precise form in which 
 John's baptism was administered ; but the form of Chris- 
 tian baptism was explicitly given by the Savior himself. 
 
 4. John's baptism was preparatory to the introduc- 
 tion of the gospel dispensation, and of course could not 
 belong to it. " He was sent to prepare the way of the 
 Lord."c^ 
 
 5. But the most convincing evidence that baptism, 
 as administered by John, was not Christian baptism, is 
 derived from the fact that some who had been baptized 
 by him were rebaptized by the apostle Paul.e 
 
 Great pains have been taken, we are sensible to 
 prove that the expression " When they heard this," &c. 
 referred to what was done when they were baptized 
 by John. If this interpretation is to be relied on, then 
 it must follow that the apostle Paul laid his hands upon 
 all that had ever been baptized by John. "When Paul 
 had laid his hands on them." This word them certainly 
 refers to those who had been baptized in the name of 
 the Lord Jesus. 
 
 Christian Baptism. Dwight's Thaology. Peter Edwards. Clinton. Prime. 
 oMat. iii. 11. i Mat. iii. S, 6. c Mat. xrviii. 19. dMat. iii. 3. c Acts xix. 1—7. 
 
SECTION XVIII. 
 
 THE LORD'S STJPPEK. 
 
 Q. I. What is the design of tiie Lord's supper ? 
 
 A. It is designed to commemorate the suffering»[and 
 death of Christ. " This do in remembrance of me.'*a 
 
 Q. II. What are the benefits -to be derived from com- 
 memorating the death and sufferings of Christ 1 . 
 
 A. The benefits to be derived from it are many : 
 
 1. It presents to the mind, through the medium of the 
 senses, the great sacrifice that has been made for the 
 redemption of men. One moment's reflection upon our 
 own experience will show us how much more easily 
 and deeply our minds are affected by sensible repre- 
 sentations, than by appeals simply to the understand- 
 ing. We can be told of the slaughter of hundreds and 
 thousands in the field of battle, and our minds will be 
 less affected than with the sufierings of a single indi- 
 vidual who is before our eyes. In great wisdom and 
 condescension God has given us an institution, which, 
 by a symbolical representation, exhibits the death of 
 Christ, an event which of all others is the most impor- 
 tant to us as sinners, in a manner which in point of in - 
 terest approaches toward the reality itself. The sym- 
 bols are simple, and the resemblance is such as to con- 
 vey the mind with tjie greatest ease back to the affect- 
 ing scene they are designed to represent. We need 
 but little faith to see, through the bread and wine, the 
 body and blood of our Redeemer. 
 
 2. This ordinance has a direct tendency to strengthen 
 our faith. It will be recollected that one important 
 
 a I Cor. zl. 24. 
 
 J3« 
 
286 
 
 evidence of the truth of divine revelation was drawn 
 from a view of this institution. It is represented as 
 having been instituted by the Savior himself. It is 
 abundantly attested by the apostles that it was observ- 
 ed by them^ and it is equally evident by the writings 
 of all the friends of Christianity that it has been inva- 
 riably observed from that time to the present. Further, 
 we see not how it is possible for this institution to have 
 been introduced at any period after the death and resur- 
 rection of Christ. Those to whom, upon this suppo- 
 sition, it must have been first proposed, would have 
 seen that the apostles and primitive Christians had not 
 obeyed the positive commands of their Lord, and of 
 course that they did neither believe him to be divine, 
 nor that he had risen from the dead. But it is still 
 more absurd to suppose that the institution was estab- 
 lished by the Savior, and observed by the apostles, 
 (which we have shown must have been the case,) un- 
 less the events which it is designed to commemorate 
 were facts. The apostles were in circumstances in 
 which they could not have been deceived. They must 
 have known whether the Savior had wrought miracles, 
 died, and risen again from the dead. We. may then 
 look upon this institution as a standing monument, 
 erected and guarded by the providence of God, to bear 
 unequivocal testimony to the death and resurrection of 
 our Savior down to the end of time." "As often," says 
 the apostle, " as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, 
 ye do show the Lord's death till he come."a 
 
 3. By the observance of this rite some of the most 
 important doctrines in the whole system of our faith 
 are frequently and deeply impressed on the mind. It 
 has been observed that sensible representations more 
 deeply affect the mind than mere appeals to the under- 
 standing. This is true not only of our Savior's death, 
 
 a 1 Cor. xl. SS. 
 
THE LORu's SUPPBR. 287 
 
 but of some of the important doctrines of the gospel. 
 The guilt of sin is here exhibited in the most striking 
 and impressive manner. It is the testimony of God 
 that nothing less than the blood of his Son could make 
 ap atonement for it. We are taught by this institution, 
 with equal clearness, the necessity of an atonement, the 
 holiness of God's law, and his determination to support 
 it, together with the infinite love of God towards man- 
 kind, &c. We are taught from this institution some- 
 thing of the nature of the atonement, at least we are 
 taught that something more is meant by it than merely 
 the example of Christ. We can scarcely conceive why 
 we should be required to bring the Savior so often to 
 mind, and that by a ceremony which refers us directly 
 to his death, if it is barely his example, in the various 
 circumstances in life, from which we are to derive ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 Q. III. With what temper of mind should we ap- 
 proach the table of our Lord ? 
 
 A. 1. With a spirit of penitence. How can we but 
 be penitent, when we have before us the most conclu- 
 sive evidence of our guilt ? Every Christian, it must 
 be believed, has become so far acquainted with his own 
 heart as to know that it is deceitful. He will of course 
 be far more willing to place imphcit confidence in the 
 testimony of God concerning his own character, than in 
 his own reasoning, unaided by revelation. As be can- 
 not believe that God would send his Son to die for sin, 
 unless it were the only way by which pardon coiild be 
 offered, and the character of God supported, he must 
 feel that he has before him the most convincing evi=- 
 dence of the exceeding heinougnesg of sin that can be 
 placed before the mind. 
 
 2. We are to attend to this ordinance with meefcn?ss 
 and humility. That view pf our guilt with which we 
 are furnished by thip ordipance can scarcely fail of 
 
288 THE lord's supper. 
 
 leading us to feel as well as see our unworthiness. The 
 direct tendency of this feeling will be to produce meek- 
 ness and humility. The same effects may be expected 
 from that comparison of our characters with that of the 
 Savior, to which a view of the symbols of his body and 
 blood naturally invite us. 
 
 3. We should approach the supper of our Lord with 
 lively emotions of gratituSe. We have before us a 
 sensible representation of the unbounded love of Christ. 
 And when we remember that the sufferings and death 
 to which this ceremony refei'S us were endured for us, 
 for beings who are at an infinite remove from having 
 any claim to his interference, surely, if we can remain 
 ungrateful, we must conclude that we are unprepared 
 for this spiritual and holj- entertainment. In the suf- 
 ferings and death of Christ we see the eternal Jehovah 
 bringing himself down, by a mysterious connection with 
 our natures, to our circumstances and to our apprehen- 
 sions ; we see the price that he has paid for our hopes 
 concerning what we now are, and what we expect to 
 enjoy during the eternal ages to come. 
 
 4. It is important to come to this ordinance with 
 faith. Without faith this whole represensation will be 
 an uninteresting ceremony. Faith will enable us to 
 look beyond the symbols, and see the character and the 
 transactions which they are designed to present before 
 the mind. 
 
 5. When we come to the table of the Lord, we should 
 possess a spirit of forgiveness towards our enemies. 
 Can we look at the pains which he has taken, that he 
 might offer pardon and forgiveness to us, and then con- 
 trast the unreasonableness of our enmity to him with 
 the love which is manifested to us, and not be convinced 
 that without a disposition to forgive we have not a spirit 
 like his ? 
 
 6. Lastly, we should approach the table of the Lord 
 
THE lord's supper. 289 
 
 with prayer and self-examination. We should pray that 
 "we might not deceive ourselves in the inquiry whether 
 we possess the views and feelings which have been men- 
 tioned, and that we might not overlook the important 
 truths the scene is designed to exhibit. If we ever need 
 the influenceof the Holy Spirit to direct our meditations, 
 it is when Jesus Christ is set forth crucified before us. 
 
 Q, IV. What are we to understand by the expression 
 of the apostle, "He that eateth and drinketh unworthily 
 eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discern- 
 ing the Lord's body ?" 
 
 A. From the scope of the apostle's argument, as well 
 as from the opinion of the best commentators on this 
 passage, we are led to believe that those fears and scru- 
 ples of conscience, which this text has excited, have 
 their foundation in the seeming "harshness of our trans- 
 lation," rather than in the spirit of the passage. The 
 passage may be literally rendered "He that eateth and 
 drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment, or 
 condemnation to himself." We may observe that it is 
 the manner in which we eat, rather than the character 
 with which we eat, that exposes us to condemnation. 
 The threatening cannot with propriety be applied to 
 such as feel themselves unworthy ; for this is a feeling 
 which is essential to an acceptable participation. It 
 doubtless refers to the habit of making the Lord's supper 
 a pompous and carnal feast, not discerning the Lord's 
 body. By this habit, either from a miraculous display 
 of holy disapprobation, or its natural tendency, some had 
 brought upon themselves diseases or judgments which 
 had proved the occasion of their death. Such then as 
 profess to entertain a hope in Christ, and yet dare not 
 own him before men and come to this solemn ordinance 
 can receive no countenance from this passage. Did 
 they feel themselves worthy, they would come on the 
 strength of their own righteousness, and would then be 
 
290 'the loed s supper. 
 
 guilty of the very conduct against which the threaten- 
 ing is pointed. 
 
 Q. V, Who are the proper subjects to be admitted 
 to this ordinance ? 
 
 A. It must be apparent, from the remarks already 
 made, that|^none*but such;, as have prevailing evidence 
 in their o-wn minds, and in the minds of the church, 
 that they are born again, have a right to this ordinance. 
 It follows also by unavoidable consequence from the 
 exhortation of the apostle, " Let a man examine him- 
 self, and so let him eat of that bread,"&c. Does not 
 the Savior describe the hypocrisy and impiety of such 
 as partake of this ordinance, and remain in impenitence, 
 in that memorable declaration, "We have eaten and 
 drunken in thy presence ?"a , 
 
 Q. VI. What evidence have we that this ordinance 
 was designed to be perpetual, and that it is still obliga- 
 tory upon the disciples of Christ ? 
 
 A. . There is no institution in the Christian church for 
 the perpetuity of which we have plainer and more une- 
 quivocal authority. 
 
 1. It must be plain that the object at which we are to 
 aim, in attending this ordinance, must afford a power- 
 ful reason for its continuance. " This do in remem- 
 brance of me."6 Is it not plain, beyond a question, 
 that this institution was designed for the use of the 
 church after the departure of our Lord ? So far as it 
 should be observed with this view, it would' be more 
 important to such as should live centuries after he left 
 the world, than to his own disciples. We stand in 
 more need, at this distance of time of some standinsr 
 testimony that our Lord has suffered in the flesh, that 
 shall at the same time, while it proves the truth of our 
 religion, bring fresh to our remembrance the blessed 
 Savior, than did the apostles. 
 
 a Luke^iii. 2S. i Luks zxii. 19- 
 
391 
 
 2. The apostle Paul was uncommonly definite in 
 stating the time that this institution should continue. 
 " For as bften as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, 
 ye do show the Lord's death till he come." To suppose, 
 as some do, that the time referred to by the apostle, 
 when the Lord should come, was that when he should 
 by his Spirit so illuminate the minds of his disciples as to 
 render all ordinances unnecessary, is to adopt a prin- 
 ciple of interpretation so loose, as would put it for ever 
 out of our power to prove any point by the Bible. For, 
 
 3. The apostles themselves, as appears from their 
 own writings, continued in the observance of this ordi- 
 nance to the close of their lives, and then enjoined it 
 upon their successors. We have no account of any of 
 the primitive churches but what observed it. This 
 supposed coming of Christ, and illumination of mind, 
 was something which the apostles never enjoyed. Be- 
 sides, when was the Spirit ever shed down upon men 
 in a manner more powerful than on the day of pente- 
 cost 1 And it should be remembered that the apostle 
 definitely and solemnly gave this institution in charge 
 to the Corinthian church almost thirty years after that 
 period. 
 
 Q,. VII. What are the scriptural grounds for Chris- 
 tian fellowship in the reception of this ordinance ? 
 
 A. There is such a variety of opinions on this ques- 
 tion, as must render every attempt to give a decisive 
 answer extremely delicate. 
 
 1. It is necessary that every individual, whom we 
 would admit to our communion, should have attended 
 to the initiating ceremonies, by which, according to 
 his own conscientious belief, he becomes a member in 
 full standing of some regular Christian church. It is 
 unnecessary, in order to settle the question before nsy 
 so far as duty is affected by it, to determine whether 
 there might not be circumstances supposed, in which 
 
292 THE lord's supper. 
 
 this would not be indispensable ; because at the present 
 day, and in this age of the world, there can be nothing 
 to hinder any one from complying with it, if it be sin- 
 cerely desired. But as there are communities which 
 bear the appellation of Christian churches, to whom 
 pei-sons may be admitted who totally discredit the ex- 
 istence of vital piety, or a change of heart, we cannot 
 suppose that every professor of the religion of Jesus 
 Christ can be admitted by Christians to their fellowship. 
 
 The question then returns, on what grounds can we 
 consistently admit others to our communion ? 
 
 It is believed that the most correct rule, for a gen- 
 eral one, that can be given in answer to this question 
 is prevailing evidence of a new heart. We have said 
 that this is a general rule, and it must be admitted as 
 such, because there may be evidence of this kind in the 
 character of individuals, by whom, in consequence of 
 erroneous instruction, sentiments the most pernicious 
 and dangerous are cherished. Sentiments that exert 
 a deadly influence on society, or the progress of reli- 
 gion, such as a denial of the Christian Sabbath, the 
 doctrine of future rewards and punishments, &c. can- 
 not consistently, by such as have the cause of Christ at 
 heart, either directly or indirectly be countenanced. 
 With exceptions like these we shall now ofier a few ar- 
 guments in support of the rule above mentioned, as the 
 only scriptural rule for the extent of our fellowship. 
 
 1. It was upon this principle that the apostles re- 
 ceived each other as brethren and laborers together 
 in the vineyard of Christ. '• And when James, Cephas, 
 and John perceived the grace that was given unto me, 
 they gave unto me and Barnabas the right hands of fel- 
 lowship." If upon this ground they were admitted to 
 the important work of the ministry, no one will suppose 
 that it would not be safe and consistent to admit upon 
 the same to the communion table. 
 
THE lord's supper. 293 
 
 2. This seems to have been the ground upon which 
 the Savior directed his disciples to receive and treat 
 their brethren. When some of the disciples came to 
 our Lord and told him that they saw some casting out 
 devils, and forbid them, because they followed not with 
 them, the direction of our Savior was, " Forbid them 
 not ; he that is not for me is against me, and he that 
 gathereth not with me scattereth abroad." Must not 
 the disciples have understood, from this direction, that 
 it was their duty to fellowship and encourage every 
 individual that was engaged in the service of the Lord ? 
 
 3. The directions of the apostles to the churches 
 under their care seem to have been given upon this 
 principle. If they directed the churches to cut off any 
 of their members, it was because their conduct was 
 unchristian.a 
 
 4. The apostle Paul directed his brethren at Rome 
 to receive one another as Christ had received them. 
 How can we comply with the spirit of this direction, 
 unless we admit to our fellowship all such as are the 
 friends of Christ ? Further, is it not true that all our 
 hopes of pardon and everlasting salvation are suspended 
 upon this principle, that he has loved us and received 
 us over many errors and imperfections ? 
 
 5. If we make the rule for the extent of our fellow- 
 ship any thing else— correctness of sentiment, or regu- 
 larity of conduct, will it not be impossible to determine 
 in either case where to draw the line ? Men have dif- 
 ferent views of the importance of sentiments, and dif- 
 rent practices. 
 
 6. May not the declarations of the Savior on the 
 subject of charity, or the giving of alms, be equally ap- 
 plicable to the subject before us 1 " Inasmuch as ye did 
 it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." 
 
 Q. VIII. Must we not make some allowance in the 
 
 a » Gor. Ti. 14— 17. Eph. t. 11. 
 
294 THE lord's suppee. 
 
 exercise of our charity for the manner in which persons 
 have been educated, arid for the degree of intelligence 
 they possess ? 
 
 , Ai Such allowance is undoubtedly important, as will 
 appear from the following remarks. There are some 
 practices, which, if indulged understandingly, will 
 prove the heart to be corrupt, that have been indulged 
 in ignorance, and without due reflection, by such as 
 were upright in the sight of God. The time has been, 
 and indeed very recently, when the making and selling 
 and daily drinking of intoxicating drinks as a beverage 
 were indulged without suspicion, by many prominent 
 and influential persons in the church of God. Many 
 such, by this traffic, have rendered themselves wealthy. 
 More recently, and since intelligence has been thor- 
 oughly circulated on this subject, the frown of God has 
 in many cases seemed to rest upon such as have taken 
 this method to obtain money. It would certainly seem 
 to be easy to show that a christian, or one who partakes 
 of the Spirit of Christ, cannot understandingly, that is, 
 with a knowledge of the" consequences to which it 
 leads be willing to indulge in either of these practices. 
 Such a man, or one who is willing to indulge in these 
 practices is willing to be accessary to all the evils, the 
 wretchedness, and crime to which intemperance leads. 
 Does not every man in the community know that in- 
 toxicating drinks are wont to ruin men as well as they 
 can know whether an ox is wont to push with his horn? 
 It is then, the decision of the word of God, that such as 
 sell or deal out ardent spirits as a beverage with this 
 knowledge, are responsible for the consequences. God 
 will hold them responsible for all the sickness, poverty, 
 and wretchedness in families, and the horrid crimes, 
 and the self-murder to which it leads individuals. 
 
 Still it is, no doubt, a truth that the best of men, and 
 such as have been most devoted to the service of God, 
 
THE lord's SUPPBB. 295 
 
 have, without knowing or considering the consequences, 
 pursued these practices. Before we treat such persons 
 as certainly irreligious, we ought to look at the manner 
 in which they have heen educated and endeavor to 
 bring them to repeiftance. 
 
 These remarks are true and appropriate in reference 
 to the habit of attending balls and dancing schools and 
 other popular practices of the pleasure-seeking part of 
 the community. In such as have been accustomed to 
 see christians indulge in them, and have never been 
 taught the nature of their influence, the indulgence will 
 not certainly show that the heart is given up to the 
 world. But where the subject has been faithfully 
 spread before the mind, and it has repeatedly seen the 
 utter uselessness of these things, and the impossibility 
 of preserving, while we indulge them, any thing like 
 spiritual life, or growth in grace, if there is still an in- 
 clination to indulge them and to justify them, in such 
 cases there can be but little ground to hope that the 
 divine life has ever had a beginning, 
 
 Q. IX. Is it our duty to fellowship as christians those 
 who hold their fellow men in bondage as slaves ? 
 
 A. The remarks, to some extent, which have been 
 made upon the last question, will aid us in finding the cor- 
 rect solution of this. There are so many ways in which, 
 with all the power of self-interest, slavery throws a 
 deceiving influence upon the mind, that, inexcusable 
 and at war with every principle of right, as it undoubt- 
 edly is, it is not strange that where it exists, some of 
 the greatest and the best of men have been ready ta 
 defend it. It is, no doubt, a fact that the time has been, 
 when the most candid and religious could hold men 
 in bondage themselves, and their minds were not mo- 
 lested with a single suspicion that it was sinful. 
 
 It is true that correct views upon this subjedt are 
 not as entirely shut from the minds of any at th© 
 
296 THE lord's suppek. 
 
 present day as they were at that, still we must bear in 
 mind that such is the power of pride and self interest, 
 that it is nearly impossible for light, or for correct views 
 to be presented in such a way as not greatly to increase 
 the bitterness and opposition, instead of removing it. 
 While it is true that no apology can be offered for such 
 a state of mind, is it not equally true that, if our object 
 is to recover the individual from his error and preju- 
 dice, we shall treat him with kindness and patience, 
 and endeavor to convince him, before we conclude 
 with certainty that he cannot be a christian or deal out 
 against him the anatheihas of the church. But where 
 slave-holding is persisted in after the truth has been 
 kindly and faithfully and frequently presented, we do 
 not undertake to limit the holy one, but we say that we 
 find it difficult to conceive that such a mind could ever 
 have been subdued by the power of the Savior's love. 
 I shall now endeavor to show that slavery need only 
 to be seen to convince us that in the minds of the 
 candid and really benevolent it never pan be reconciled 
 with the profession or practice of the gospel. Before 
 we proceed directly to show its character, we would re- 
 mark that the only course that is taken by its friends, to 
 furnish a serious justification, must appear on a candid 
 examination defective, and must furnish an indication, 
 at least, that it cannot be justified. Great pains have 
 been taken to find in the Bible, instances of servitude, 
 and. to show that the word that is translated servant, 
 where it refers to such as had been bought with money, 
 might be rendered slave, &c. But if they were suc- 
 cessful, what do they gain ? Must not every one see 
 that it affords no justification, unless they can show 
 that this servitude was in all things like American sla- 
 very? 
 
 It must be a singular kind of reasoning that will show 
 that all kinds of slavery are to be justified because one 
 
297 
 
 form of it existed in the days of the patriarchs and pro- 
 phets. Their servitude differed in many respects from 
 ■American slavery. For one thing, their servitude, 
 unless they voluntarily prolonged it, must close once 
 in fifty years. Their slaves had a Sabbath and all the 
 religious privileges of their masters. "Buyers and sel- 
 lers were not allowed to separate husband and wife, 
 and by that means, trample upon the covenant of mar- 
 riage, &c. Besides, if it could be proved that slavery, 
 in some of its worst forms, existed in the times of the 
 apostles or prophets, and was not specifically con- 
 demned, it will afford no justification for slavery at the 
 present day. The Bible was not given us to be used 
 in this manner. It was given us to furnish us with the 
 principles by which we are at all times to be governed, 
 and we are not allowed to follow any example, although 
 it may be found in the Bible, that is opposed to them. 
 Who ever attempted to justify a process of extermina- 
 ting conquest from the fact that by such means the 
 children of Israel conquered the ancient inhabitants of 
 Canaan ? Who ever attempted to justify the conduct 
 of our government toward the Indians that have been 
 driven from this country, from the example of Moses 
 and Joshua ? We may see this same principle in re- 
 ference to other things. We have no more right to 
 plead the oppression that was suffered to exist in the 
 days of the prophets, to justify American slavery than 
 to justify, from the example of Abraham and others, 
 concubinage and bigamy. The same principles, in 
 substance, were the standard of duty at that time as at 
 this, and if deviations from it were suffered on account 
 of the hardness of their hearts, in some things, that will 
 furnish no justification to us to violate it either in the 
 same things or in others. The question for us to de- 
 cide is, whether slavery as it exists in this country can 
 be reconciled with the principles of the law or gospel. 
 
298 rnt lord's buppee. 
 
 Not only so, but there is another principle that we 
 ought to remember, while in this discussion, and that 
 is, if we justify slavery, we must justify it as it is in this 
 country, with all its cruelty and injustice. 
 
 We have nothing to do with the enquiry, whether 
 some men are not so kind and compassionate that their 
 slaves are in a better condition than if they were free. 
 Nor is it an enquiry of any importance in our opinion, 
 whether it is or is not possible for the relation of slave 
 and master to exist without incurring guilt. Much 
 time and labor have been expended upon questions of 
 this character without any other effect than to darken 
 and bewilder the mind. Slavery as it is, and not as it 
 might be, is the question on which we are called to de- 
 cide. So long as it has a legalized existence* so long 
 the selfishness and love of money in the hearts of men 
 will give it all its present terribly revolting features. 
 It is impossible to prevent it. Ardent spirits may be 
 used in some cases as a beverage, and the evil would 
 be trifling, if any, but if we advocate; such a use of it, 
 we become responsible for. all the horrid evils it pro- 
 duces. As we have shown, every man that advocates 
 its use as a beverage, does it while he knows the evils, 
 if it is thus used, it will not fail to produce. It is so 
 with the practice of slavery. He who justifies it must 
 give every man the liberty of being a slave-owner, and 
 must know that so long as njen are what they are, sla- 
 very will continue to be what it is. It is then, as a 
 whole, with all the evils it produces, that we must ex- 
 amine slavery, to decide whether a man can be a chris- 
 tian and understandingly be its advocate. Let us now 
 compare it with the only standard that God has given 
 to measure our obligations to our fellow men. The 
 substance of that standard, according to the exposition 
 that the Savior himself has given is, •' Thou shalt love 
 thy neighbor as thyself." I certainly need not under- 
 
THE LORD S SUFFER. 299 
 
 take to show that he who holds his neighbor in bond- 
 age, and makes his labors and his whole existence to 
 promote his own interest, is not loving him as he loves 
 himself. It would be an insult to the understanding of 
 every mind to attempt it. It is impossible to see how 
 the rule can be more flagrantly violated than it is done 
 by slavery. 
 
 But this epitome of the standard of our obligation 
 was spread out originally, in order that it might be more 
 easily applied into six commands having reference to 
 the different relations and circumstances oi men in life. 
 Let us now compare slavery with each of them, in 
 order that we may understandingly decide whether 
 it can be justified by one who truly loves his fellow 
 men? The first is, "Honor thy father and thy moth- 
 erJ'a It will not require a moment to show that in 
 cases without number, slaveholders will not suffer the 
 children of slaves to obey this command ; and it is 
 certainly as bad to compel others to violate the law, 
 as to do it themselves. The next is, " Thou shalt not 
 Mil. It is a fact that cannot be disputed, that in many 
 cases the lives of slaves are made the subjects of spec- 
 ulations as coldly and unfeelingly, as the hves of brutes. 
 They are bought and sent to sickly places, and sus- 
 tained upon a certain course of diet, when it is known 
 that in other and more healthy climates, and with differ- 
 ent diet, they would live much longer as a general rule 
 than they do. In all such cases, it is plain that their 
 masters are knowingly the occasion of their death. 
 The third is, " Thou shalt not commit adultery." No 
 candid mind that has any regard for the commands of 
 God, or the human race, can contemplate the conduct 
 to which slaves are too often compelled in reference 
 to this subject without being filled with pain. In many 
 cases tho, marriage relation is broken up without the 
 
 a Ex. zz, S— 17. 
 
300 
 
 THE LORD S SUPPEE. 
 
 least ceremony, when the sale or purchase of slaves 
 requires it. The course pursued by some, is governed 
 only by arrangements to improve the kind?, as in the 
 case of brutes. The next command is, " Thou shall 
 not steal" The whole system of slavery is built upon 
 stealing. Every poor being that is in bondage, was 
 either himself, or his parents from whom he descended, 
 stolen from Africa ; and every one that buys and em- 
 ploys them, is a partaker in guilt with the thief. The 
 next is, " Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy 
 neighbor." False testimony that does great injury 
 to the slaves, is borne against them by pleading that 
 they are greatly inferior to other nations, to justify the 
 manner in which they are treated, when their treat- 
 hient is entirely the cause of their inferiority. The 
 next command is, " Thou shalt not covet any thing 
 that is thy neighbors." In every case in whichi t is 
 pretended that one man or woman is the property of 
 another, the owner not only covets but actually takes 
 that to which no created being in the universe but the 
 slave himself has any right. Thus condemned, slavery 
 is guilty of wantonly trampling upon every command in 
 the second table. It lays a ruthless and savage hand 
 upon human obligation, in every conceivable form. 
 Whoever justifies it either by his own example, or in 
 any other way, sins with a giant hand ; or to use a 
 figure selected by inspiration, he " draws iniquity as 
 with a cart rope." What a train of evils are seen to 
 follow this outrage upon human obligation ? Look at 
 at its effects upon all human associations, from that of 
 the family, to that of the state and nation, and upon all 
 the interests of men from the formation of character in 
 children, down to the interminable awards of the fu- 
 ture world. It is followed by a train that is not only 
 immeasurable in its length, but equally so to the human 
 mind, in its magnitude. It is a cord so large as ta,en- 
 
CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 301 
 
 twiae a. violation of every command ; and of course to 
 leave the brapd of divine indignation upon every iijtejr- 
 est both In this world and in the world to come. The 
 enquiry now before us, is whether it is possible for a 
 mind that partakes of the spirit oi Christ "without 
 which we are none of his " to be understandingly wil- 
 ling to justify slavery 1 What kind of fellowship can we 
 manifest for the character or cause of Christ if we^ can 
 fellowship a practice tha,t is so much at war with every 
 prmciple in the gospel ? Of what possible value would 
 our fellowship be, if it were seen that it could asso- 
 ciate with such an outrage upon all human obligation 1 
 
 Swlgbt^a Tluolos7. Hopkins' Systsm. tuhro^ sn E;Usi«lu. 
 
 SECTION XIX. 
 
 GHBISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 Q. I. What is a church ? 
 
 A. The original signification of the word cAarcA was 
 an assembly collected together for any purpose what- 
 ever.a It is used at the present day to mean, 
 
 1. All the professed believers in Christ ovet the 
 whole earth. This is called the visible chur<^h.& 
 . 2. The word is sometimes used to mean ^11 real 
 christians, both in heaven and on earth. This is called 
 the invisible church. 
 
 3. These are sometimes divided, and all real believ- 
 ers on earth are called the church militant, and all that 
 are in heaven the church triumphant.c Professing be- 
 lievers are sometimes divided, and each division is 
 called a churck. Thus, the American church, the 
 <jrreek church, the Presbyterian church, &c. are phrase* 
 that are often heai'd. But the word is sOmetimes> 
 
 «Acteziz. 33. »E;h,m. 21. c Hab. xii. 23. 
 14' 
 
302 CHRISTIAN CHUECfl. 
 
 used to mean a voluntarj^ association of professing be- 
 lievers for the purpose of enjoying the institutions and 
 privileges of the gospel. 
 
 Q. II. What are the proper officers of a church ? 
 
 A. Elders and deacons. Elders are divided into two 
 classes, there are teaching elders which are the same as 
 as pastors, and their ruling elders. Perhaps there is no 
 questionthat can be suggested that has occasioned more 
 contention than this. It cannot be expected that a sub- 
 ject as extensive as this has at length become, can be 
 thoroughly investigated here, consistently with the lifn- 
 its of this work. Nothing more will be attempted than 
 to adduce a feiiv of the most decided arguments in proof 
 of the answer we have now given. 
 
 1. There is but one class of teaching or instructing 
 officers who have ever received by divine authority 
 any regular commission. It certainly would seem that 
 every distinct order or class of officers would be dis- 
 tinctly commissioned. What evidence can we have 
 that any orders have ever been appointed by the great 
 Head of the church, unless their duties have been de- 
 scribed, or in other words unless they have, received a 
 definite commission? And if more than one order 
 have been appointed, have we not a right to expect 
 that we shall find with equal clearness, their different 
 commissions ? The commission which was given by 
 our Savior to the first of these classes is contained in 
 the following words : " All power is given unto me in 
 heaven and in earth."fl! How natural is this introduc- 
 tion when about to give a commission which was to 
 remain in full force to the end of time ! — one which is 
 of vital importance to the existence and prosperity of 
 his cause, and which never could have been given only 
 by the great Head of the church. '• Go ye, therefore, 
 and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of 
 
 a Mat. xxTii. IS. ] 
 
CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 803 
 
 the Father, and of the ^on, and of the Holy Ghost; 
 teaching them to observe all things wliatsoever I have 
 commanded you ; and lo ! I am with you alwray, even 
 unto ^the end of the world. Amen."a This is the 
 commission to pastors, or teachers ; and not an intima- 
 tion, it may be stated with confidence, can be found in 
 the history of the Savior or his apostles, of a distinct 
 commission to a higher order of men. It has no bear- 
 ing against the truth of this statement, that the apostles 
 at some times exercised an authority superior to the 
 other pastors. The apostles were endowed with pow- 
 ers to work miracles ; but their powers were not given 
 in the commission, and the commission was to re- 
 main in force " to the end of the world." It will not 
 be plead, for any order of men that have existed since 
 the days of the apostles, that they are in possession 
 of these extraordinary gifts ; consequently, if there 
 be a class of teachers which are superior in authority 
 to others, such ^superiority must be seen in their com- 
 mission. But that any thing of this character has been 
 discovered in the commission, to which every teacher 
 must go for his authority, is what it is beheved has never 
 been pretended. This commission gave authority to 
 preach, and to baptize ; and as all other duties are essen- 
 tial to fulfill the design of the gOspel, they are included 
 by implifcation. From any thing that we can discover, 
 every man that has a right to teach has the same 
 right to baptize ; and all, who have a right to do both, 
 in point of authority stand upon a level. The appoint- 
 ment of the other classes of officers which we have 
 named is given with the same clearness and decision. 
 The account is contained in the sixth chapter of Acts. 
 2. The different names which are given to the first 
 of these classes are used in the Scriptures in a manner 
 that cannot fail to convince every unbiased and inqui- 
 
 a Mat. zzviii. 18, 20, 
 
304 CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 t 
 
 ring mind that they refer to the same office. If there 
 be an appellation in the whole New Testament that 
 intimates a superiority in office among those who are 
 appointed to teach, it, is that oi bishop. But this word 
 is undeniably used in many places as synonymous with 
 elder and presbyter. The apostle Peter observes, " The 
 elders which are among you 1 exhort, who am also an 
 elder." He then proceeds to describe their duty: 
 " Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking 
 the oversight thereof,"a His direction in this passage 
 to the elders, which is translated to take the oversight 
 of, in the Greek means to oversee, or exercise the of- 
 fice of a bishop. Again, the apostle Paul sent from 
 Miletus to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. 
 In the charge which he gave to the elders he directed 
 them to " take heed to themselves, and to all the flock 
 over which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers."6 
 The word overseer has the same meaning ajS that of 
 bishop ; it is the only word from which that of bishop 
 is translated ia the Neiw Testament. It is plain from 
 this passage that these eldprs were bishops, and were 
 made bishops by the Holy Ghost. 
 
 3. From this passage, and from some others, it is 
 evident that some single churches had a plurality of 
 bishops.c Where a church is large, a plurality of 
 pastors or elders is common ; but no instance, it is pre- 
 sumed, ever occurred, where there was a plurality of 
 bishops in the modern sense of the word. 
 
 4. It is evident that bishops are no more than pas- 
 tors or presbyters,from the characters they are required 
 to sustain, and the duties they are to perform. " And 
 we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor 
 among you, and are over you in the Lord." It must 
 be evident at first sight that this would be impossible, 
 according to the meaning which many*affi;[ at the pres- 
 
 alFet. v. 1-3, i Acts zx. 17, IS, cFhU, i.I. 
 
CHRISTIAK CHUHCH.J 305 
 
 ent day to the word bishop. The apostle Pa:ul observes 
 to Titus, " For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou 
 shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and 
 ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee : 
 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having 
 faithful children, not afcciised of riot, or unruly. For 
 a bishop must be blameless as the steward of God."a 
 .Here the re'kson which the apostle assigns why Titus 
 should ordain such persons for elders as are blameless, 
 is that a bishop musi; be blameless. This must certainly 
 appear- unmeaning, if he did not design to be under- 
 stood as referring to the same office by these two names. 
 
 Again, " A bishop must be one who ruleth well his 
 own house."6 " Let the elders that rule well be 
 counted worthy of double honor."c From these pas- 
 sages we see that bishops and elders both perform the 
 same duty, and of course they are viewed by the apos- 
 tles as sustaining™the same office.' On the whole, it 
 may be stated with confidence that the opinion that 
 there is in the church an order of men superior to el- 
 ders and presbyters never was taken from the Bible. 
 That this is not an uncharitable statement is evident 
 from the fact that it has been acknowledged by some 
 of the most able advocates of that sentiment. The 
 editors of the Christian Observer frankly acknowledge 
 that " Episcopalians found not the merits of their cause 
 upon any express injunction or delineation of ecclesias- 
 tical government in the Scriptures, for there is none." 
 But if it be not found in the Scriptures, it certainly 
 ought not to be in our creeds ; and it is most likely 
 it never would have been, had it not been for that 
 spirit that " loveth to have the pre-eminence." 
 
 Q. III. What do we understand by what is called 
 the Apostolic su\:cession, and is any thing depending on 
 it in rektion to our present or future interests ? 
 
 a Titusl. 7. b 1 Tim. fii. 2. c 1 Tiin; r. 17. 
 
306 CHRISTIAN CHUKCH. 
 
 A. If we understand what is meant by this term, it 
 is a supposed line of men descending by way of office 
 from the apostles down to the present time, whose acts 
 in consequence of their descent are indispensable ^o 
 the genuineness of conversion and the certainty of sal- 
 vation. It is supposed by many that there is no other 
 true church except that which is established by these 
 men on earth, and that they only have the ^key to the 
 door. In other words they believe and say that if you 
 have all the meekness, love to God, and love to men 
 that any man ever had, and if you carefully and con- 
 scientiously conform to every'religious rite which you 
 believe to be required, still unless you have been bap- 
 tized in your infancy or afterward by one of these men, 
 you have never been baptized and you are not in the 
 church, and have no assurance that you will ever be 
 saved. It would certainly seetn to be labor that is 
 entirely useless to* atteinnpt the refutation of such an 
 opinion as this. We are told in the Bible, that unless 
 we "repent," or "believe," or "love God," or "obey 
 God," &c. &c. we cannot enter the kingdom of God. 
 But where are we told that except we are baptized by 
 a certain class of men, we cannot be admitted to the 
 kingdom of God ? We have not time tO show all the 
 absurdities of this sentiment, and shall dismiss the sub- 
 ject after having made the following suggestions : 
 
 1. On this theory multitudes would be lost forever 
 who are innocent so far as the course of their salvation is 
 concerned. How can an infant be blamed if he were 
 not taken to this holy succession to receive baptism. -| 
 
 2. We affirm without the least danger of being con- 
 tradicted, that all such as are baptized by these men do 
 not give the evidence in their lives that they are born 
 again, that the Bible represents as beiilg ■ its legitimate 
 fruits. In what other way except by the repentance and 
 holiness of the life, is it possible, for us to^see evidences 
 
CHRISTIAN CHUBCH. SO? 
 
 of spiritual blessings ? If souls are born again by such 
 a baptism, they must certainly show it in thfeir conduct 
 as soon as they show their characters by their lives. 
 
 3. According to this theory, a man's conduct can- 
 not be so depraved as to unfit him to discharge the 
 duties of a bishop, so but that the blessing will follow 
 his oflSice work. If depravity of the grossest kind to- 
 gether with the rankest unbelief, is sufficient to vitiate 
 the invisible and mysteriously descending virtue, who 
 that has ever read the history of the popes could feel 
 safe to rest upon it for one moment ? How is it possi- 
 ble for any being on earth to tell though he may have 
 been baptized by one who professed to be in this suc- 
 cession? /whether the line did extend uncorrupted back 
 to the apostles ? If the line has descended through the 
 popes, it has descended through some of the most corrupt 
 and .most abandoned wretches that were suffered to live. 
 It is impossible for the advocates of this notion to43e- 
 safe unless they take the ground that depravity of 
 character, whatever it may be in a bishop, cannot viti- 
 ate the mysterious virtue of his offiee. If they adopt 
 that ground, they must believe that such men as the 
 atheistic, licentious, and sneering Talleyrand, will be 
 found at last with all the subjects upon which he ha? 
 hypocritically laid his hands, washed in the Redeem- 
 er's blood, at the right hand of God ; while such men 
 as President Edwards and Brainard and Elliot and 
 Hooker, will be cast off among the deceived and the 
 wretched forever. 
 
 Q. IV. Is it not evident that Timothy was bishop, in 
 the modern sense of the word, of Ephesus, and Titus 
 of Crete? 
 
 A. It is difficult to determine* from what this opinion 
 arose. The following considerations seem however 
 sufficient to show that it is entirely unfounded. 
 
 h With regard to Timothy, it was certain that in the 
 
308 CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 latter ^art of his second epistle the apostle Paul directed 
 him to do the work of an evangelist. It is plain that 
 he dould not have been a diocesan bishop and an evan- 
 gelist, or an itinerant preacher at the same time. 
 
 2. Timothy and Titus were both inspired men, and 
 like the rest of the apostles were possessed of extraor- 
 dinary authority. They were never settled in either' 
 of the places where it is supposed by many that they 
 were bishops, but resided in them for a short season, and 
 then at the command of the apostle returned to him 
 again. The apostle addresses Timothy in the follow- 
 ing language : " I besought thee to abide still at Ephe- 
 sus, when I went unto Macedonia."a But did the apos- 
 tle beseech him to stay among the people of his own 
 charge ? Must not this have been strange language, 
 if Timothy were at this time bishop of Ephesus ? The 
 apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church as follows: 
 " If Timotheus come, see that he may be without fear ; 
 for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Let 
 no man despise him." Does not this text clearly imply 
 that Timothy had as really a charge at Corinth as at 
 Ephesus ? And as he resided sometimes at this place, 
 and at Philipgi, have we- not as good reason to believe 
 that he was bishop at these places as at Ephesus ? 
 
 3. When the apostle sent from Miletus for the elders 
 at Ephesus, we hear nothing concerning Timothy ; and 
 as there was a plurality of bishops who belonged to 
 Ephesus at that time, Timothy could not have been 
 their diocesan bishop. As a proof that Titus only re- 
 sided at Crete for a season, he is directed at the close 
 of the epistle sent to him to come to the apostle at 
 Nicopolis.6 Dr. Whitby, who is not wanting for his 
 attachment to episcopacy, confesses he "can find noth- 
 ing in any writer of the first three centuries concerning 
 the episcopate of Timothy and Titus, nor any intima- 
 
 a 1 Tim. L 3- 4 Titu« iii. 12. 
 
CHEIStlAN CHDRCH. 
 
 tion that they bore that name." Dr. Scott, in his pre- 
 face to the epistle of Paul to Titus, declares that he "was 
 not convinced but that the title of archbishop would 
 have been a derogation to the real dignity of Titus as 
 an evangelist." He also labors to prove, as any ohe 
 may see by looking at his comments on Acts xx, 28, 
 1 Tim. iii. 1, that the term bishop was understood by 
 the apostle to mean the same as presbyter or pastor. 
 
 Q. V. Is there not evidence from the testimony of the 
 fethers that the primitive church had .more than one 
 order of teaching officers ? 
 
 A. On this question we have room only to remark 
 that on this subject it is unsafe placing any reliance on 
 this kind of testimony. It must be acknowledged by 
 every one, by whom it is candidly examined, to be so 
 contradictory as to destroy itself. It would be very 
 easy to fill up whole pages, takefl from the best author- 
 ity among the fathers, most decisively in proof that 
 episcopacy never existed till some time after the death 
 of the apostles. The following extracts must suffice. 
 
 Clement, of Rome, says that "the apostles constituted 
 bishops and deacons." Jerome declares that "a pres- 
 byter is the same as bishop," and that " originally the 
 church was governed by the joint counsel of the pres- 
 byters." Again, "Among the ancients, presbyters and 
 bishops were the same." Tertullian says that in the 
 affairs of the church "certain approved elders preside." 
 Irenseus observes, " It behooves us to hekrken to those 
 who are presbyters in the church," who, as we have 
 shown, have their succession from the apostles. St. 
 Hilary remarks, " The presbyters were at first called 
 bishops." These extracts are sufficient to show that if 
 the testimony of the fathers is to be relied on; the primi- 
 tive church "considered bishops, pastors and elders, as 
 sustaining the same office. 
 
 Q. VI. What are the duties assigned to deacons ? 
 
 14* 
 
810 CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 A. To oversee and adjust the temporal concerns of 
 the church. " There arose a murmuring of the Gre- 
 cians against the Hebrews, because their widows were 
 neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve 
 called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said. 
 It is not reason that we should leave the word of God 
 and serve tables."a The duties of this office, then, in 
 the days of the apostles, might be performed by such 
 as did not labor in word and doctrine, and of course 
 such as held no other office had no right to preach. If 
 it should be alleged that some of these deacons were 
 afterwards employed in preaching, still, untU it could be 
 proved that they had received no additional license or 
 authority, nothing could be done to invalidate the state- 
 ment we have made. From their commission, it is 
 plain that they were to look to the wants of the poor, 
 to see that regular measures should be adopted to col- 
 lect the charities of the church and convey them to the 
 proper objects. In this way and in many others they 
 might dp much tovyard relieving their pastors from that 
 burden of care and anxiety, which otherwise would 
 press upon them and prevent their , usefulness in the 
 ministration of the word. 
 
 Q. VII. How are deacons to be inducted into their 
 office ? 
 
 A. By the choice of the church, and by receiving 
 ordination at the hands of the pastors. " Then the 
 twelve collected the multitude of the disciples and said, 
 Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, 
 full of. the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may 
 appoint over this business." When tbe requisite num- 
 ber had been chospn, they were set before the apostles, 
 and " when the apostles had prayed they laid their 
 hands on them." It is to be regretted that a duty so 
 important, and so plainly described in the Bible should 
 have been so generally neglected. Every measure that 
 
 a A«t3 Ti. 1, S. 
 
CHRISTIAN CHURCH^ 311 
 
 would tend to impress the mind of a deacon with the 
 solemnity and importance of his office ought to be 
 adopted, and that ordination would produce this effect 
 cannot seriously be doubted. We have no account in 
 the Bible of any other way by which they may be admit- 
 ted to their office, than by ordination ; and it would 
 doubtless be well for the interests of the church if this 
 ancient direction were universally obeyed. ' 
 
 Q,. VIII. Wh^t are the objects of church discipline ? 
 
 A. The i-ecovery of such as have injured by their 
 conduct the cause of Christ, or apostatized from the 
 faith, and a reparation of the injury they have occa- 
 casioned. The church at Corinth was directed by the 
 apostle to deliver the incestuous person "unto Satan for 
 the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved 
 in the. day of thfi Lord Jesus."« In the directions 
 which were given by the Savior on this subject, it is 
 said, " If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy bro- 
 ther ."6 It is obvious from this that one important ob- 
 ject to be accomplished by the discipline of the church 
 is the amendment of the transgressor. It is also impor- 
 tant, on account of the bearing it has on the honor of 
 • religion, that the discipline of the church should not be 
 peglfcted. In what other way can faithful and con 
 scientious believers show that they disapprove of the" 
 conduct of faithless and impious apostates ? And does 
 not the honor of religion require such a disapprobation 
 from every sincere and honest christian ? If we visit 
 the house of a neighbor, and hear from some members 
 of the family profane or obscene language, and no dis- 
 approbation is manifested by the rest, have we not a 
 right to conclude that such conduct is approved by the 
 family ? The appUcation of this remark to the point 
 before us must be perfectly plain. For what purpose, 
 if not to manifest a proper disapprobation, and. in this 
 
 a 1 Cor.T. 5. b Mat. zriii. 16. . 
 
312 CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 way repair the injury done to religion, are we required 
 to let the irreclaimable be to us as heathen ? 
 
 Q. IX. "What is the proper course to be pursued in 
 the discipline of the church ? 
 
 A. The rtiost prudent and most successful course, 
 from the testimony of near two thousand years' experi- 
 riient, is that which is described with so much particu- 
 larity in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew. Whether 
 from the letter of this rule it could be inferred that it is 
 sacredly obligatory in all cases, has been doubted by 
 many ; still, when we reflect on the importance of hav- 
 ing some rule that is generally admitted to be such, and 
 the tendency and discretion which are apparent in this, 
 no individual who wishes to promote the peace and pros- 
 perity of the church would ever insinuate but that it 
 may be considered a rule of universal application. No 
 Course could be suggested that would give the coniplain- 
 ant and the fehurch, on the one hand, a fairer opportu- 
 nity t6 mainifest the sincerity of their motives in the dis- 
 cipline, and the delinquent, on the other, in examining 
 and re-examining himself and the charges that are 
 brought against liim. " Moreover, if thy brother shall 
 trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between 
 thee and him alone." Every open violation of Chris- 
 tian duty will be felt by every real Christian as a tres- 
 pass Against himself. With feelings of this character 
 he -would be prepared to commence the prosecution. 
 He would then have an opportunity to. bring into exer- 
 cise all the warmth and anxiety of his heart. More 
 depends on the manner in which this duty is performed, 
 in order to be successful, than could be conjectured from 
 mere speculation. If a brother professedly attempt to 
 reclaim an offender, when every circumstance and every 
 appearance indicate that he is prompted by a spirit of 
 revenge, we need but little knowledge of human nature 
 .to_know, that however guilty the offender may be, all 
 
CHRISTIAN CHURCS. 819 
 
 that is done in this way to redaim him will be worse 
 than useless. But if the offender can discern a spirit 
 of tenderness, and an evident feeling of regard for his 
 good in all that is done, both by the complainant and 
 the ch«rch, his heart must be as destitute of Christian 
 feeling as marble, not to be reclaimed. It is doubtful 
 whether an attempt to reclaim a real Christian, how far 
 soever he may have wandered from the path of duty, 
 can be made with a Christian spirit, without being suc- 
 cessful. Where churches are large, if they are faith- 
 ful they will be frequently called to this duty ; and 
 although there are few or no churches but what are too 
 neglectful, yet such is the imperfection of our natures, 
 where cases of discipline are frequent, there is great 
 danger of imbibing a spirit very similar to a spirit of 
 litigation. This consequence of the depravity of our 
 natures does not lessen our obligation to be faithful, 
 neither ought we to be disheartened by it ; but it should 
 lead us to be more on our guard» and be more careful 
 and prayerful in the examination of ourselves. In this 
 way the most affecting cases of discipline have had a 
 salutary tendency upon the whole church. Instances 
 have frequently occurred where churches could date 
 the commencement of a general and powerful revival 
 of religion to a case of discipline. 
 
 Q. X. Ought the church to insist on public confes- 
 sions in cases where the misconduct of the offenders 
 has become public ? ' 
 
 A. There are many things in the discipline of the 
 church, as well as in othei' parts of ecclesiastical econo- 
 my, in which we must be governed by discretion, ot by 
 a reference to authority that is plainly inferential. If 
 one point to which we have already attended be grant- 
 ed, the affirmative of this question must follow of course. 
 If one object to be secured in the discipjine of an offen- 
 der be a reparation for the injury he has done to reli- 
 
314 CLRISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 gion, it will follow that this reparation ought to be as 
 extensive as the injury. How can a christian feel that 
 he has done all in his power to repair the injury he has 
 done to the cause of Christ, till he has met the evil re- 
 port he has occasioned with a confession as public as 
 the report itself? 
 
 2. To insist on a public confession in such cases gives 
 us an additional opportunity to test the sincerity of one 
 who is , professedly penitent. It will doubtless be ac- 
 knowledged that it is our duty to forgive when we can 
 obtain evidence of repentance, and that in every case 
 .we ought to obtain the best evidence in our power. If it 
 be doubtful whether the offender be penitent, we ought 
 to take the best measures to obtain evidence to which 
 we can have access. It is well known that a public 
 confession is in almost every case a severe trial. It 
 must be evident to every reflecting mind that multi- 
 tudes, who have deeply wounded the cause of Christ, 
 would be more likely to do every thing else that a 
 church might require without real penitence, than they 
 would to do every thing that is required, and make a 
 public confession in addition. 
 
 3. It must be obvious also, that as far as it is con- 
 sidered a trial and a cross, the pi^actice of requiring it 
 has a tendency to diminish the commision of sin. We 
 may easily conceive that in cases where the mind, by 
 temptation, and inducements to oppose temptation, is 
 brought to a balance, the addition of this inducement 
 may decide in favor of duty, and thus prevent apos- 
 tacy. There are extremes to this subject as well as 
 to every other. While on the one hand we may 
 readily see that without some test of sincerity we could 
 not determine when to forgive, so on the other th£^t test 
 might be of so severe ajid trying a character, as to ap- 
 proach towards the penitential systems of the dark 
 ages. So far as a subject of this kind can be decided 
 
CHEISTIAN CHURCH. 315 
 
 s 
 
 by experiment, it is believed that it may be stated with 
 confidence that the question under consideration must 
 be decided in the affirmative. While various and im- 
 portant advantages have resulted from the practice of 
 requiring public confessions, it is doubtful whether it 
 has everoccasioned any thing that might be called an 
 evil. It may have vpounded the modesty of some vir- 
 tuous individuals, but it is doubtful whether it has not 
 in these cases created a greater disgust toward the 
 vices which occasioned them. 
 
 Q. XI. Have we any Scripture authority for eccle- 
 siastical councils, or for a reference of difficult ques- 
 tions, about which there are divisions in the church, to 
 the advice and decision of able and experienced men ? 
 
 A. The council which was occasioned by the con- 
 tention at Antioch on the subject of circumcision, an 
 account of which is found in the fifteenth chapter of 
 Acts, must remain as authority sufficient to justify this 
 practice. Besides, it is a practice, which, if we consult 
 experience or analogy, the most conscientious policy 
 would be ready to admit. The importance of having 
 difficult and perplexing cases referred to those who are 
 not only better informed, but have no party feelings or 
 interests must be apparent. The propriety of having 
 laymen united with pastors in these references, is also, 
 by the instances cited above, undeniably established. 
 
 Q. XII. Have we any evidence that the primitive 
 church contained such a class of officers as are usually 
 called ruling elders ? 
 
 A. We are constrained to believe that many things 
 with regard to the constitution of the church, as well 
 as its discipline, are left for the exercise of a sound and 
 conscientious discretion in view of existing circum- 
 stances. That the circumstances of the church, at that 
 period in which the apostles lived, called for a class of 
 officers which have not been needed, and have not ex- 
 
316 CHRISTIAN OHUIICH, 
 
 isted since> will not be doubted. To us the Scriptures 
 do not seem to speak with as much clearness and de- 
 cision on this subject as on most others. We shall 
 only present a brief abstract (for we have room for 
 ijothing more) of the evidence on both sides, as it ap- 
 pears to us and leave the reader to decide for himself. 
 There are many passages of Scripture which seem, at 
 least, to prove that no such board of authority did exist 
 in the primitive church. Of this character are the fol- 
 lowing : " Tell it to the church."a " Now we command 
 you, brethren, iii the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that 
 walketh disorderly''^ Of this character are all the di- 
 rections of the apostle Paul to the different churches. 
 The directions which are given throughout his epistles 
 seem to be to churches, and not to any board of offi- 
 cers. It may also be observed, that from these direc- 
 tions it may be inferred that every church was to ac- 
 complish its own discipline within itself. This how- 
 ever might be done, and the board of officers in ques- 
 tion might have existed in the church. 
 
 In answer to the above arguments, it is. generally 
 stated that the word church was used frequently, under 
 the former dispensation, to mean the elders who sus- 
 tained the government of the church; such as were 
 appointed for the assistance of Moses, at the suggestion 
 of his father-in-law. That it was the church existing 
 under the Jewish form, to which our Savior referred in 
 the passage above mentioned, there can be no doubt. 
 In reference to the manner of the apostle in giving his 
 directions to the church, rather than to its officers, it 
 is said that the customs of the day were in conformity 
 to what has novt been stated concerning the Jewish 
 form of the church, and perfectly similar to those which 
 exist at the present. If a prosecution be commenced 
 
 a Mat. zviii. 17. b S Thai. Ui. 
 
CHRISTIAjr CHURCH. S17 
 
 against a town, or State, or society, the town or State, 
 &c. is considered in point of authority as existing in its 
 officers. The prosecution is commenced invariably 
 against them. It is thought that the direction of the 
 apostle Paul to Timothy is a plain and powerful con- 
 firmation of this opinion. " Let the elders that rule 
 well be counted worthy of double honor, especially 
 they who labor in the word and doctrine."a It seems to 
 be very plainly intimated in this passage that there was 
 a class of elders who exercised authority in the chnrch, 
 who did not teacK. The same sentiment is thought to 
 be plainly exhibited where the apostle, in describing 
 the various gifts in the church, mentions, in addition to 
 teachers, helps and governments.b As considerations 
 shcjwingthe expediency of having such a board of author- 
 ity in the church, the following things are suggested. 
 
 1. It would greatly relieve the pastor of the burden 
 of his labors, and allow him to give himself more- 
 wholly to the important work of instruction. 
 
 2. It would release him from that labor in which he 
 is most likely, if he be ever sd faithful and cautious, to 
 injure his influence and prevent his usefulness. 
 
 3. It would produce a board far more able and 
 impartial for the investigation of difficult cases, as the 
 members of churches in general, feeling no peculiar 
 responsibility, are too apt to depend on the opinion of 
 a few. In this point of view it would seem as impor- 
 tant that the government of the church should be com- 
 mitted to a select number, who should fepl the respon- 
 sibility attached to tbeir decisions, as that criminal 
 causes should be tried in our Courts by a jury, rather 
 than by a promiscuous assembly. 
 
 4. 'It would greatly and justly limit the power and 
 influence of the pastor. It is not possible for him to 
 have that influence with a set of men who feel it to be 
 
 a 1 Tim, t. 17. * 1 Cor. xii. 20. 
 
318 CHEISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 their duty to examine and understand for themselves, 
 as with the common class of church members who had 
 none of that feeling of responsibility. 
 
 5. Difficult cases would be not only more ably ex- 
 amined and justly decided, but their decision would not 
 be so likely to produce that party injlu&nce which is so 
 often a sore and grievous evil in our churches. There 
 would not be that temptation to endeavor to influence 
 the common members of the church that we now too 
 often witness. 
 
 On the whole,,whether such a class of officers existed 
 in the primitive church, or whether it be expedient that 
 there should be at the pi-esent day, we do not take it 
 upon us to decide. We are confident, however, view- 
 ing the nature of the arguments on both sides, the 
 uncertainty that seems to rest upon the subject, and its 
 comparative unimportance, that no individual, with the 
 feelings and views of a christian, will choose rather to 
 dissent, or attempt to disturb the peace of a church, 
 than to cheerfully countenance and support eithelr. 
 
 Q. XIII. What are the duties of ruling elders ? 
 
 There is not a class of men belonging to the church 
 of God which it is more important should understand 
 and faithfully perform their, duties, than ruling elders. 
 It would seem to be the design in the great Head of 
 the church in this appointment, to commit the govern- 
 ment of the church to men who have not by devoting 
 their lives to books rendered themselves incapable to 
 any extent of making that allowance for laymen and 
 such as labor for their suppoi-t, that a just administra- 
 tion requires. Thpir duties are numerous and impor- 
 tant. To them it belongs to attend to the, discipline of 
 the church in every step of its process, though other 
 menabers have a right to bring complaints before them 
 in Presbyterian churches, as before the whole church 
 in such as are Congregational. Elders are a kitid ©f 
 
CHEISTIAN CHURCH. 319 
 
 general committee to atteud to. every thing that the 
 church can perform best by such appointments. They 
 are to take the lead in making arrangements for the 
 church and congregation to be supplied with preaching. 
 If the congregation are destitute they are to take the 
 proper steps to lead it to the choice of a pastor. They 
 are to be the council of the pastor, and each one of them 
 is his equal in authority. They are to oversee the in- 
 struction of the children of the church in the Sabbath 
 School and the Bible Class. It is their duty to watch 
 over all the various parts of the public worship of God, 
 the sacred music and the preaching of the gospel, to 
 see that they are such as the interests of truth require. 
 It is their duty to visit the church and congregation 
 especially in sickness, and converse with them on the 
 great interests of their souls. In the absence of the 
 pastor, it is theh" duty to lead the church and congre- 
 gation in their religious meetings. They are to see 
 that the interests of the church are represented in the 
 higher bodies, such as the presbytery and synod,. 
 Thus it is plain that, elders ne/sd to be men of God, 
 who feel that they are overseers of the flock, and whose 
 examples may be imitated without danger to the soul. 
 
 Q. XIV. Is not the lorm of the Roman Catholic 
 Church more ancient than any other, and does that af- 
 ford, any evidence that it is more correct in doctrine 
 and form than any other ? 
 
 A. The scriptures give us with sufficient clearness 
 the form of the church in the days of the apqstles, and 
 it is certainly more safe to take the church at that day 
 for our pattern than at any after period. Nothing is 
 more certain than that the churches very soon after the 
 apostles were taken from them became exceedingly 
 corrupt. The apostle Paul tells us that causes existed 
 in his day that were corrupting its form and character 
 and would terminate in a fearful apostacy.a In ac- 
 
 a fill. L (, 7. 
 
320 CHKISTIAM CHURCH. 
 
 cordance with this we may find from history the date 
 of the commencement of every thing in which their 
 present form of that church differs from the apostolic. 
 These facts will appear from the following passages of 
 scripture. " Let no man deceive yoii by any means, 
 for that day shall not come except there come a falling 
 away first, and that man op sin be revealed the son of 
 perdition."a; The day to which the apostle refers in 
 this passage as may be seen by looking at the first verse 
 is the coming of our Lord. In the next verse he tells 
 us that this man of sin that should be revealed by this 
 apostacy would "exalt himself above all that is called 
 God, or is worshipped." Popes have exalted themselves 
 above all that is called God, by the manner in which 
 they pretend to forgive sin. They have not only pre- 
 tended to forgive the sins of such as are impenitent, but 
 they have gone beyond this, they have graiited indul- 
 gences to men to break the commandments of God. 
 We need but little knowledge of the character of God to 
 see that he can no more do this than he can deny himself. 
 What can be more certain than that this refers to the 
 popes, for nothing bearing the least resemblance to it 
 has ever existed only in that form of the Church. But 
 the evidence of this increases as we follow the apostle. 
 He next remarks, " So that he as God setteth in the 
 temple of God, showing himself that he is- God." When 
 does a finite being ever take the seat of God pretending 
 to do the works of God, if hot when he pretends to for- 
 give sins ? In addition to this many of the popes have 
 affected diviiie honors and have demanded adoration. 
 They have claimed to be head of the whole church 
 of God, and their flatterers have called them his holi- 
 ness, and a " God upon earth," and claimed that they 
 were infallible. In the seventh verse the apostle tells 
 us that the mystery of iniquity had " already begun to 
 
 a 2 Thei. ii. 3, 
 
CHRISTIAN CBUKGB. 92% 
 
 ■work," and shows what it was that hindered a full de» 
 velopement of that apostacy till it " should be taken out 
 of the way/* He saw that ministers in the important 
 cities through the influence of pride, already began to 
 assume a degree of importance ever their brethren in 
 smaller places that would eventually without fail lead 
 to the fearful aristocracy of popery. 
 
 In his second Epistle to Timothy, the apostle calls 
 the attention of his readers, as may be seen by the first 
 verse of the third chapter, to the same character. In 
 the fourth verse he observes, " Having the form of God- 
 liness, but denying the power thereof." Is it not an un- 
 doubted fact that there is no other denongination that 
 does so . much toward professing to depend on mere 
 forms, as the Roman Catholic ? What is it, beyond a 
 lifeless, empty form, to have prayers or preaching in an 
 unknown tongue ? What is the counting of beads, in 
 the manner in which it is performed in that church, 
 but a form ? In th? fourth chapter of his first Epistle 
 to Timothy, the apostle refers to this same subject, 
 " In the latter times, some shall depart from the faith 
 giving heed to seducing spirits." In the next verse he 
 is still more definite, and tells us that they will speak 
 lies in hypocrisy. What other denomination does as 
 clearly ^each doctrines that subvert the whole founda- 
 tion of the gospel, under an appearance so sanctimo- 
 nious, as the Roman Catholic? If their doctrine of 
 penance be true, salvation by grace is out of the ques- 
 tion. The has that are spoken in hypocrisy by their 
 teachers, are endless. They pretend that miracles, in 
 numberless instances, have been wrought by friajs and 
 priests, and by the instrumentality of sacred relics. 
 Their account of the influence of money, and of the 
 prayers of the priests, in procuring the release of soula 
 that are in purgatojy is clearly of this character. 
 But in the next sentence» the apdtftle js still more 
 
322 CHEISTIAN CHURCH. 
 
 clear in his reference. " Forbiddriig to marry." In 
 what other christian church on earth is marriage pro- 
 hibited, especially among the clergy? In> all othef 
 denominations, it is thought to be the duty of all classes. 
 The sentiment in the next exprfession is too clear and 
 unequivocal to admit of ahy doubt. " Commanding io ab- 
 stain from meats which God hath made to be received." 
 Now what other religious denoniination except the 
 Catholics, and such as have derived the practice from 
 them, have commanded, as a religious regulation, to 
 abstain from meats ? Now, if it had been the design 
 of inspiration to let the world know where, among all 
 the various ahurches that apostate and corrupt church 
 coiild be found, by placing a broad and indelible mark 
 upon it, how could he have done it more clearly than 
 it is done in this passage ? While the marks are such as 
 cannot be seen on any other church, no impression upon 
 a bank bill, ever corresponded in all its lines, more per- 
 fectly with the plate with which it had been struck, than 
 they agree with that of the Roman Catholics. If there 
 is a prediction in the Bible on which it is safe to depend, 
 the Roman Church is that apostate ^'man of sin." 
 
 But the moral character and the corrupting influence 
 of this church is it possible a still greater evidence of 
 its apbstacy. The members of that communion are the 
 most bitter and deadly enemies of genuine piety, and 
 the most fearful struggle that truth and holiness will 
 ever be called to make to introduce the reign of Jesus 
 Christ, will be to overcome the heartless formalism of 
 popery. The doctrines which popery every where 
 teaches are such as cannot fail to produce a corrupting 
 influence on the heart and life. When men are taught 
 that baptism is regeneration is it strange that such as 
 have been baptized cannot be led to feel that they 
 must be born again or never be admitted to the king- 
 dom of God ? When they are taught that the service 
 
CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 323 
 
 of God, even that which is most acceptable in his sight 
 consists entirely in rites and forms, is it strange that 
 they never feel that love in the heart is indispensable T 
 Is it not to be expected from such a religion that per- 
 sonal enmity, secret revenge, and a willingness to per- 
 secute even unto death will be cherished in the mind ? 
 When men are : taught that voluntary penance and 
 mortification is the only way to secure the favor of 
 God and the pardon of sin, is it strange that they reject 
 salvation by grace, and look down with contempt upon 
 every one that does not pursue their course of sanctifi- 
 cation ? What can be more evident than it is that by 
 the influence of such doctrines as these the effects of 
 the gospel upon the hearts of men are worse than lost ? 
 It is doubtless owing to its influence that the apostle 
 hsis caWed it " that wicked" and the " man of sin." He 
 charges it with teaching " damnable doctrines," by 
 which we are to understand doctrines that will be the 
 means of damnation to those who embrace them. Is 
 not this most clearly the fact with the whole system ? 
 What sinner would ever repent that can obtain pardon 
 and salvation by doing penance ? 
 
 Every person acquainted with the depravity of the 
 heart, and the plan of salvation, knows that until all 
 hope of obtaining relief or pardon by any thing that 
 can be done by itself is entirely cut off, the mind never 
 will repent. Besides, in most cases, the common peo- 
 ple who are under the influence of Romanism are not 
 allowed to have the Bible, unless it be a corrupted 
 translation, one in which repentance is made to mean 
 penance. To support self-righteousness and pride, it 
 must be seen is the tendency of all their institutions, 
 and arrangements. They were established professedly 
 to lead to uncommon purity and holiness. It was pro- 
 fessedly for this purpose that priests were forbidden to 
 marry, and nunneries and cloisters were established. 
 
324 CALI) TO. PREACH. 
 
 But these arrangements were made, it will be seen, by 
 such as entireily mistook the character of the human 
 heart. "Instead of uncommon purity, the Romish clergy 
 are proverbially licentious. What man that is at all 
 acquainted with human nature, when he recollects that 
 men who are not allowed to be married are daily re- 
 quired to hear the confession of females of every 
 character, who are under the most solemn injunctions 
 to confess all their sins, would be disappointed to find 
 such men often guilty of the basest licentiousness ? Is 
 there not too much evidence from the whole arrange- 
 ments of that church that it is in a state of awful apos- 
 tacy ? The soul under its influence is in fearful dan- 
 ger of being lost 
 
 SECTION XX. 
 
 CALL TO PREACH. 
 
 Q,. I. How can we determine when men are called 
 vf God to preach the gospel 1 
 
 A. Before we proceed to answer directly this ques- 
 tion, we would remark that this is a subject to which 
 the attention of mankind is rarely called. The reason 
 of this it is difficult to conceive. It certainly cannot 
 be because the subject is not to persons in every cir- 
 cumstance in life sufficiently important to demand their 
 attention. It is doubtless said by some, "What inte- 
 rest have we to know what is a call of God to preach 
 the gospel? It is our duty to hear the gospel when it 
 is. preached. Let those who think it to be theirs to 
 preach determine this question." This every man will 
 see, on a moteient's reflection, is a view of the subject 
 which is extremely erroneous. Unless there are men 
 at the present day who pretend to be the ministers of 
 Christ and to preach his gospel, who deceive both 
 
CALL TO PKBACH. 325 
 
 themselves and their hearers, the state of society is 
 greatly reformed, and men are not as depraved as they 
 Were in the days of the Savior. Could we consistently 
 sit undei* the preaching of such men, if we knew them 
 to be of this character ? Should we be willing to send 
 our children to a teacher, whatever might be his pro- 
 fessions, when once we had become convinced that 
 his instructions in. every branch of science would only 
 mislead them? But what would be endangered in 
 that case, compared with what is endangered by the 
 exhibition of false and erroneous views, of the gospel ? 
 Suppose an individual should make his appearance 
 among us, who should avow himself to be some impor- 
 tant agent of the" government. Suppose he should af- 
 firm that the government had required that a certain 
 portion of our time should be employed in a manner no 
 way conducive to our interest, but entirely in its own 
 service. Should we feel no interest in the inquiry 
 whether his pretensions were according to fact. Yet 
 how trifling would be the interest we should have at 
 stake in that case, compared with that which is involved 
 in the inquiry, who among those that pretend to be the 
 preachers of the gospel are commissioned by the Sav- 
 ior to that important work ? To set the importance 
 of this inquiry in a still clearer point of light, suppose 
 the sentence of death were passed upon us for some 
 capital crime, and we were lodged in prison waiting 
 the time of our execution. During our confinement 
 various individuals arc admitted to our apartment, who 
 afiirm that they have come to make propositions on 
 the part of government, and to offer terms on which 
 we may be pardoned. Should we not have some in- 
 terest in the question whether they were honest men 
 or imposters ? Suppose, after some one had stated 
 the conditions on which he affirmed that we might have 
 pardon, aijd after we had complied with them, it should 
 
 15 
 
326 OALI, TO PUEAGH. 
 
 appear that he never had been sent by the government. 
 Suppose further that vre depend on his representations, 
 and, as we imagine, comply with the condition of par- 
 don as stated by the government. With these im- 
 pressions, arid with the expectation that when we are 
 brought on to the scaffold we shall be pardoned, we 
 remain till the fatal hour arrives, and we then learn 
 that this was only an impostor, and that he had never 
 received any commission or agency from the govern- 
 ment. Suppose it should be stated before the assem- 
 bled multitude that there had been provisions made for 
 us to receive pardon on the most reasonable terms, and 
 faithful men had been intrusted with a commission to 
 that amount, but that we did not like their terms so 
 well as those that were stated by the impostor ; they 
 were too humiliating; and therefore, although they 
 carried with them the most unequivocal credentials of 
 their being sent by the government, their message was 
 wholly rejected. Should we not, in those circumstaij- 
 ces, be inclined to reflect upon ourselves for neglecting 
 to examine the credentials of these different men ? 
 Now it will be seen that this representation does no 
 more towards exhibiting this subject in a just point of 
 light than temporal things will compare with eternal. 
 If the present life be our only accepted time and day 
 of salvation, and if we listen to such teachers as are 
 not sent of God, and do not give a correct account of 
 the terms of life, how vain is the attempt to form any 
 just conception of the consequences ! The question 
 then before us, how shall we determine when ministers 
 are commissioned and sent by the great Head of the 
 church, is one that it becomes every individual to set- 
 tle for himself. The view we have given of this sub- 
 ject must in the opinion of every reflecting mind be 
 seen to correspond withlhe account which is contained 
 in the Scriptures; " If thie blind lead the blind, both 
 
CALL TO PESACH. 827 
 
 shall fall into the ditch."a This was spoken with re- 
 ference to the teaching of the Pharisees ; and of course 
 no meaning can be affixed to it but that which we have 
 exhibited. If some teach falsehood for truth, and others 
 believe them, and act according to their instruction, 
 both shall fail of salvation. What are we to under- 
 stand by the characters which are mentioned by our 
 Savior, such as the following : " blind guides," " wolves 
 in sheep's clothing," " men that neither go in them- 
 selves, nor suffer those who are entering to go in 1" 
 What can be the meaning of these declarations, unless 
 there are some who mislead others, in the great affair 
 of salvation ? 
 
 That such as preach the gospel in its purity are in 
 some sense called of God, there can be no doubt. "No 
 m^n taketh this honor unto himself but he that is called 
 of God, as was Aaron."Z> The way is now prepared 
 to enter upon the answer to the question, what it is to 
 be called of God to preach the gospel ? It will be our 
 object to examine, in the first place, some things which 
 are often considered evidences of a divine call which 
 are not ; and secondly, mention some things which are 
 real evidences. On this subject men have been fond 
 of extremes. 
 
 1. It is thought by some that the call of God is made 
 up entirely of human qualifications. 
 
 A passage we have already cited is direct in proof 
 that all the real ministers of Christ are called of God. 
 The expression " No man taketh this honor unto him- 
 self," &c., very plainly implies that the call mentioned 
 in the passage was not peculiar to the apostolic age. 
 That a call of God to preach the gospel is made up en- 
 tirely of human qualifications, is a sentiment which has 
 had a fair opportunity to exhibit its spontaneous and 
 legitimate effects upon the church. So far as it is safe 
 
 a Mat. XT. 14. iHsb. T. i. 
 
328 CALL. TO PREACH. 
 
 inferring the nature of causes from their effects, so far 
 we are justified in saying that the frosts of December 
 could not be more deadly in their influence on the vege- 
 tation of May, than this doctrine has been to the interests 
 of vital piety. Let a man have all the human qualifi- 
 cations that the world can bestow upon him, or that his 
 mind may be capable of receiving, still he might be a 
 total stranger to that necessity which lay so heavy upon 
 the apostle, and led him to exclaim, " Yea, wo is unto 
 me if I preach not the gospel."a Whoever enters the 
 field of the gospel with no other than human qualifica- 
 tions, might, if he were not deaf to the voice of Jeho- 
 vah, hear himself continually rebuked by " What hast 
 thou to do to declare my statutes V'b , 
 
 2. It is thought by some that a call of God is wholly 
 supernatural, or miraculous, and has nothing to do with 
 human qualifications. It is not possible, while we are 
 in this world, to determine whether this sentiment, or 
 the one we have already examined, exerts the most per- 
 nicious influence on the interests of religion. We are 
 constrained to believe that the advocates of this opinion 
 do not see the bearing it has on the character of the 
 Holy Spirit ; neither is it seen by the multitudes who 
 flock to hear the men that claim to be thus highly dis- 
 tinguished of God, This may be thought to be an un- 
 charitable remark ; * but it will be seen on a careful 
 examination to be the most charitable that the nature 
 of the case can allow. This statement will be seen to 
 be supported beyond a doubt by the following facts, 
 which are by no means uncommon. 
 
 1. Some men who pretend to have this call, and who 
 boldly declare that they are directed entirely by the 
 immediate agency of the Spirit of God, preach a doc- 
 trine in direct opposition to others who make the same 
 pretensions. There are several denominations, som e 
 
 o I Cor. li 18. b?a. 60. 1«. 
 
CALl. TO PKEACH. 329 
 
 of whose preachers, it is well known, claim to be thus 
 highly distinguished, who differ in many essential points 
 from each other. 
 
 There are some men with these pretensions, who, af- 
 ter they have preached for a season, changed their sen- 
 timents, and exhibit opinions directly contradictory to 
 what they before exhibited, who both before and after 
 their change have claimed to be under the direction of 
 the Spirit. 
 
 3. Others with these pretensions have proved them- 
 selves, upon repeated trials, incapable of exhibiting one 
 important doctrine in a light sufficiently clear to be un- 
 derstood or applied. We are now reduced to the ne- 
 cessity of believing that these men are deceived, or that 
 all this confusion and contradiction is to be charged 
 upon the Spirit of God. Can a rational man harbor for 
 one moment a doubt on this subject ? Is it not invaria- 
 bly acknowledged that truth is consistent with itself? 
 Can we believe that the Spirit of God would lead men 
 in a path as crooked as that which is often pursued by 
 men of these high pretensions ? This, it myst be seen, 
 is decidedly impossible. We must either believe, of 
 course, that they make these pretensions, knowing them 
 to be false, or that they are deceived ; and certainly 
 the latter is far the most charitable. 
 
 To this it may be objected that the apostles were the 
 subjects of this supernatural or miraculous call, and 
 why may not others be the subjects of the same ? In 
 answer to this we readily admit that the apostles were 
 thus under the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit in 
 all their preaching ; but as an evidence that no such 
 privilege ought to be expected in these days, we re- 
 mark that the apostles lived in an age of miracles. 
 From the nature of things a dispensation of miracles 
 cannot endure. If it were as common to see the sick 
 restored in answer to prayer, as it is for a sleeping body 
 
 15* 
 
830 CALL TO PEEAOH. 
 
 to awake, it would be no more miraculous. The same 
 remark is true in reference to every miracle, and there- 
 fore when the purpose to he answered by them was ac- 
 complished, it was wisely ordered that they should no 
 longer exist. Besides, as an argument that must de- 
 cide this subject, it may be observed that no reason 
 cp,n be given to show that a miracle of this nature should 
 continue, and no others. When therefore these men can 
 give us evidence that they possess the other gifts of the 
 apostles ; when they can heal the sick, give sight to the 
 blind, raise the dead, become fluent in unknown langua- 
 ges, then we may believe that they are miraculously di- 
 rected by the Spirit of God. Further, we shall see that 
 we have still less^ reason to infer from the case of the 
 apostles any support for these pretensions, when we re- 
 member that they enjoyed the instructions of the Lord 
 Jesus for more than three years. They were also so 
 favored of the Spirit of God that they were enabled to 
 prophesy. Can this be said in favor of any individuals 
 at the present day ? On the whole, is it not plain that 
 these pretensions, when compared with the real exhibi- 
 tions of the»men who make them, leave on the minds of 
 those who look at religion with a speculative eye an un- 
 favorable impression, both in reference to its truth and 
 ita importance? Can they readily believe that the Holy 
 Spirit would commit a message, on a compliance with 
 which is suspended the eternal interests of men, to such 
 as show themselves beyond all question unable to pre- 
 sent a single point in such a light as t» be correctly un- 
 derstood ? The question then returns, what do we un- 
 derstand by a divine call to preach the gospel ? or when 
 shall we know that men are called of God to bear his 
 ipessagp to guilty men 1 And 
 
 1. A maq must possess a true desire for this office. 
 '■If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a 
 good work."<| It was a desire of this kind that created 
 
 <i 1 Tim. iil L 
 
CALL TO FSEACH. 331 
 
 the necessity of which the apostle speaks. " For though 
 I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for ne- 
 cessity is laid upon me : yea, wo is unto me if I preach 
 not the gospol."a This desire, or necessity, could not 
 in the apostle's case arise from any selfish or improper 
 views. It could not have been the effect of an anxiety 
 for wealth or popularity. It must have been a desire 
 to promote the immortal interests of his fellow men, 
 and magnify the riches of divine grace,' created within 
 him by the Spirit of God. 
 
 2. A man must possess an ability to teach, in order 
 that he may give evidence that he is called of God. 
 This gift or qualification is variously described in the 
 scriptures of truth. It is said expressly in one passage 
 that he must be apt to teach.b In another it is said that 
 " a bishop must be temperate, holding fast the faithful 
 word, a.a he hath heenta.ught,thaiheiaaiy be ableby sound 
 doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers,"c 
 The Savior observes, "Therefore every scribe which id 
 instructed into the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man 
 that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of hid 
 treasure things new and old."<f These qualifications 
 must be united in order to give us evidence of a divine 
 call. The minister of Christ must have both this true 
 desire, and this aptness or ability to teach. One is rep- 
 resented as essential as the other. It must be seen, that 
 as it respects the question how we may determine when 
 men have these evidences, that every preacher of the 
 gospel concerning the first must decide for himself. He 
 only can tell whether he has that desire which it would 
 be painful to have denied. Of the other it must be de- 
 termined by his hearers. Whether he is apt to teach, 
 and his instructions are profitable to the people of God, 
 and tend to build up the Redeemer's kingdom in the 
 world, must be decided entirely by others. If a man 
 
 alOr. ix.16. ilTira.Ui.2. oTit. 1.7— 9. liMat. xiiL S2. 
 
832 CALL TO PREACH. 
 
 believe that he has an upright desire for this work, and 
 still his hearers cannot feel instructed or benefited by 
 his preaching, he ought to be convinced that he is de- 
 ceived. On the other hand, if a man enter this sacred 
 office as he would go to a trade, merely because he has 
 a talent for talking or for communicating knowledge, 
 when he has none of that desire which has been men- 
 tioned, he cannot expect the direction and assistance of 
 him whose operations are neither by might nor by power, 
 but by his Sffirit. It may please the great Head of the 
 church to make the labors of such men instrumental in 
 the conviction and conversion of sinners, as he often 
 makes even the sins of men the means of their own con- 
 viction ; still, as it is not because he is pleased with the 
 motives Ijy which they are actuated, they have no other 
 agency in this important work than any other instru- 
 ment by which these effects are often produced. In- 
 stances of death, disappointments, &c., are often the 
 meaAs of conviction, and of course it amounts to no 
 certain evidence that we are called of God to preach the 
 gospel, if such effects sometimes follow our preaching. 
 It is scarcely necessary to remark in addition that a 
 man can have no evidence that he is called to this im- 
 portant work unless he sustain a character that is fair 
 and irreproachable. "A bishop must be blameless as 
 the stevvard^of God ; not self-willed, not soon angry, not 
 given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre ; but 
 a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, 
 holy, temperate."a A similar account is given by the 
 apostle in his epistle to Timothy, to which he adds, after 
 having told us that a bishop must be blameless, " Not a 
 novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the 
 condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be of 
 good report of them which are without, lest he fall into 
 reproach, and the snare of the devil.6 Nothing can be 
 
 a Tit. 1. 7—9. i 1 Tim. iii. 6, 7. 
 
CONFOEMITY TO THK WOELD, 333 
 
 more obvious than that he who undiertakes to conduct 
 his fellow men in the path that leads to heaven, should 
 be a man who has a familiar knowledge of that path 
 from his own experience. If it be true"that men must 
 be born again before they can enter the kingdom of 
 God, how important that he w^o attempts to teach oth- 
 ers should be able to form as correct a judgment of that 
 important work as the deceitfulness of the human heart 
 will admit ! How can he describe to the anxious and 
 inquiring sinner the views and feelings of the real Chris- 
 tian when he himself is a stranger to them ? 
 
 SECTION XXI. 
 
 CONFORMITY TO THE WOKLD. 
 
 Q. I. How far is it consistent with a life of piety to 
 conform to the customs of this world ? 
 
 A. As far as our usefulness and the preservation of 
 our health obviously demand. That a conformity to 
 the world in many instances, and that too with the pro- 
 fessors of the religion of Christ, is the ruin of Chris- 
 tian character and influence, is but too evident. The 
 manner in which every individual should live, who 
 pro&ssedly lives, for God, and far another world, is 
 described in the scriptures with great plainness. " I 
 beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye 
 present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable, 
 unto God, which is your i-easonable service. And he 
 not conformed to this world ; but be ye transformed by 
 the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is 
 that good and acceptable, and perfect will of God."a 
 The state of society in some periods, and in some parts 
 of the world, is doubtless much better than in others ; 
 but there is no age, or place, where entire conformity 
 can be consistent with the character of the christian. 
 
 • Bom. zii. 1, S. 
 
334 CONFORMITlt rO THE WORLD. 
 
 There is no place on earth where the direction of the 
 apostle is not strictly adapted to the condition of the 
 Christian : " Come out from among them, and be ye 
 separate, saith the Lord."a! It would be easy, although 
 this is considered a moral and Christian part of the 
 world, to insert a catalogue of customs which prevail 
 to a greater or less extent, that would task the reader's 
 patience, to which no Christian can consistently con- 
 form. How numerous are the inventions to evade the 
 letter of the wisest and most important laws, and to 
 practice deception upon mankind ! But we have room 
 only to mention some of the most dangerous and ruin- 
 ous habits that prevail among us, against which every 
 christian* should take a decided stand. It is according 
 to the custom of this world to treat the religipn of 
 Christ, or the concerns of the soul, as the creature of 
 convenience. It is with all its momentous interests held 
 in subordination to the concerns of the present life. 
 The serious and rational question of the Savior, '' What 
 shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose 
 his own soul ?" seems to be entirely reversed. The 
 mass of men seem to conduct as though the world were 
 the great concern, and nothing could be gained if that 
 were lost. The course by which men are trained to 
 intemperance appears to be reduced to the order of sys- 
 tem. Not to fall in with these customs with cheerful- 
 ness in many cases is considered an unpardonable de- 
 viation from the principles of honor and propriety. 
 The most dangerous snares of the adversary, and such 
 as are adapted to effect the ruin of men in every age 
 and condition in life, are perfectly concealed under the 
 mantle of custom. How many things may be found 
 under the inoffensive and imposing title of civil amuse- 
 ments, which have a tendency the most direct to draw 
 the mind from its highest interests ! 
 
 a 2 Cor. Ti. 17. 
 
CONFORMITY TO THE WOKLD. 835 
 
 As we have not room to mention all the vicious habits 
 which prevail, nor to examine the arguments by which 
 they are thought to be supported, we shall only offer 
 some considerations in support of what has been already 
 stated, that we ought never to go beyond the demands of 
 our usefulness or health in our conformity to the 
 world. 
 
 1. It is expressly prohibited by him who will judge 
 us at the last day. " Follow me," is the command of 
 our Savior ; and no one will contend that this can be 
 done while we live in conformity to this world. Nei- 
 ther can we, while we indulge in such amusements as 
 are not required either by our usefulness or health, 
 " yield our bodies and spirits a living sacrifice, holy, 
 acceptable unto God, which," it must be plain to every 
 mind, " is our reasonable service." 
 
 2. A strict and impartial account is to be rendered 
 at the last day of all our conduct. " I say unto you, 
 that every idle word that men shall speak they shall give 
 an account thereof in the day of judgment."a Who 
 that has any just views of the purity and holiness of the 
 character of God, can be willing to think pf rendering 
 an account of that time that has been employed to no 
 benefit but the gratification of sinful propensities 1 
 
 3. We have none too much time to accomplish the 
 great errand on which we were sent into the world. 
 How singular would be the appearance of a man who 
 could say, and say it with truth, " I have done every 
 thing that my Redeemer has required of me ; the rest 
 of my time I can spend in doing nothing !" The decla- 
 ration of the Savior is, " The night cometh wherein no 
 man can work." 
 
 4. The consequences are too solemn and fearful, 
 should we be called to give an account of our steward- 
 ship before' we have secured the one thing needful. 
 
 a Matt zli. X. 
 
836 CONirOKMlTT TO THE WORLD. 
 
 "Who among us shall dwell with deVonring firef 
 Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings ?"a 
 
 5. The time of our departure from the world is with 
 us wholly uncertain. Who would be willing to be 
 found away from his post, and neglecting all duty, at 
 the moment he is summoned to the presence of his 
 Judge ? " In such an. hour as ye think not the Son of 
 Man cometh." 
 
 6. We are every moment promoting or opposing 
 the kingdom of Christ in this world " He that is not 
 for me is against me." 
 
 7. Our time was purchased at too dear a rate to be 
 wasted upon useless and sinful purposes. "For when 
 we were sinners, Christ died for us." It is the plea of 
 mercy " Let it alone this year also " that prevails in 
 our behalf. Can we employ our time in a manner he 
 has expresslv forbidden, when we are indebted for 
 every moment to nis sufferings and death ? 
 
 Q. 11. Is it wrong for such as do not profess to be 
 Christians to conform to the customs of this world 1 
 
 A. It must De so considered unless one sin will pal- 
 liate another, or the neglect of one duty atone for the 
 neglect of another. Can the reader suppose that be- 
 cause he has not felt a sufficient regard (or the charac- 
 ter or authority of God to form a resolution, or prom- 
 ise to serve him, thathe is now at liberty to treat his 
 commands and his offers of mercy with entire neglect, 
 and waste the only period of time in which he may 
 secure the interests of his soul in employments which 
 are of no use either for time or eternity ? What is 
 this but to "despise the riches of his goodness and for- 
 bearance and long suffering," by which we treasure 
 up unto ourselves wrath against the day of wrath ? 
 " O that they were wise, that they understood this, that 
 they would consider their latter end." 
 
 i la. zzziii. 14. 
 
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