suming fire." Hence, in the very announcement of a plan for the reconciliation of the sinful rebel to his rightful and holy Sovereign, a Mediator was promised-promised as a part of the plan itself—"The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." From that period to the end of time, not an individual of the human race has been, or ever can be, in friendship with Jehovah, but through the intervention of the appointed Mediator, Christ Jesus the righteous. It is only "in Christ," that "God is reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." In order to reconciliation, therefore, man must feel and confess himself a sinner, lost and undone, and justly exposed to the curse of the law which he has broken, and to the wrath of God, of whose law that curse is the penalty. In seeking the unmerited friendship of his Maker, he must cordially approve of the method of reconciliation through a Mediator. Into the hands of this Mediator, as having borne the curse, and satisfied all the demands of the violated law in his room and stead, he must unreservedly commit his soul; sincerely desirous that Christ Jesus may be made of God unto him wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." The method of reconciliation appointed by God being thus fully complied with, the believing and penitent sinner may now, with holy confidence and humble assurance, look to God as his God-a God truly in covenant with his soul, and engaged to confer on him, in time and in eternity, all the blessings of the covenant-that new covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus, the accepted testator and surety. In this way-the only way in which it can ever be done-may you and I, beloved youth, be brought to prefer an bumble claim to the Lord Jehovah as our God. We shall then be prepared "to worship and glorify him accordingly."-This is the third and last thing contained in the answer before us. A very general and summary statement of what is implied in this clause of the answer, is all that can here be given; for to worship and glorify God according to his true character, as the only true God and our God, implies, or comprehends, almost every Christian duty. Let it then suffice, in this place, to say 1. That we must frequently and most reverently meditate on his being and his glorious attributesviewing him as the Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor of the universe, and as possessing, in an infinite degree, all conceivable excellence and perfection, both natural and moral. We must think much of his being constantly present with us-knowing us more perfectly than we know ourselves, searching the secrets of our hearts, and marking in the book of his remembrance, every thought, word, and action of our whole lives. He must be much in our thoughts when we rise up, and when we lie down; so that we may be able to say with the Psalmist, "My meditation of him shall be sweet, I will rejoice in the LordI remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches." es." We ought particularly to meditate much on the infallible truth of God-"His word is truth." Every promise he has made, and every threatening he has uttered, he will assuredly accomplish. "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle, shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." 2. We must possess and cherish a supreme love to God. We must give him the undivided throne of our hearts. With a holy awe of his greatness and glorious majesty, we must mingle the sentiments of filial affection toward him, as the best of fathers. Hence we must trust in him, even when clouds and darkness are round about him, and sub mit to all the dispensations of his providence towards us or others, as right, and wise, and good. We must contemplate him much as our chief good, and satisfying portion. We must regard "his favour as life, and his loving kindness as better than life." We must so delight ourselves in God, as to know what it is to say from the heart, "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." 3. We must often look to him as our covenant God in Christ; and frequently renew and call to mind our covenant relation to him. Here especially it is, that we must recognise Jehovah as emphatically our God-viewing him as a sin pardoning God, who blotteth out all our transgressions freely, in the atoning blood of Christ; as adopting us as his children, and making us co-heirs with his own son our Saviour; and as engaged to work in our hearts by his Holy Spirit every Christian grace, and to keep us by his almighty power "through faith unto salvation.". It is, also, in the glorious plan of redemption by Christ, that the child of God sees the brightest displays of the divine power, wisdom, condescension, goodness, grace, and love-sees, in a word, all the attributes of the blessed God meeting, harmonizing, and shining, in the most resplendent manner. This therefore will be the favourite and delightful theme of his meditations. 4. In all the ways or methods appointed by himself, we must "worship him in spirit and in truth," and find our highest pleasure in communion with him-in prayer and praise-ejaculatory, secret, social, and publick; in all the services of the sanctuary, or house of God—there joining with his people in publick adorations, supplications, thanksgivings, and devotional songs; listening to the messages of his grace from his word preached; nd taking the seals of his cove nant, in the sacraments of the New Testament-It is by the service of God in his house, that we do, in an especial manner, before the world, avouch the Lord Jehovah to be our God. 5. We must glorify God by a sincere and impartial regard and obedience to all his commandments, whether they relate immediately to him, to our neighbour, or to ourselves; by unreservedly consecrating ourselves, with all that he has given us, to his service and glory; by manifesting a holy zeal for his name, cause, and honour, whatever opposition or suffering we may meet with in so doing; by unfeigned grief and sorrow of heart when he is offended or dishonoured by ourselves or others; by walking humbly before him, under a deep and daily sense of our sins, infirmities, and short comings in duty; by doing all in our power to extend the knowledge of him, in the gospel of his Son, to the heathen, and to all who are destitute of that knowledge, so that others may be brought to love, honour, and obey him, till the earth be filled with his declarative glory-In fine, in all that we do, we should regard the glory of God as our highest aim and object. The apostolick injunction to this effect is explicit-" Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Thus you perceive, my young friends, that this command of God is " exceeding broad," as well as spiritual in its nature and demands. The right performance of the duties which it requires, will call for the exercise of much grace. Seek it, therefore, earnestly of God. "He giveth his Holy Spirit to them that ask him." Let not the difficulty of keeping this, or any of the commands of God, be pleaded as an excuse for sloth or neglect. Mourn over your short comings, and flee to the blood of cleansing for all your transgressions and imperfections. But make no abate ment in your aims or efforts; for through Christ strengthening us, we can do all that he requires. Amen. HINTS TO SCEPTICS. The Scriptures must be what they profess-the revealed will of the Creator, or blasphemous fables. Let those who disbelieve them, unveil the imposture, and convince mankind of the delusion. Divesting their cause of all insinuation, sophistry, and ridicule, let them, with calm benevolent arguments, scatter the mists which the sacred writings have so long spread over the earth; and after they have chased away every shade of error, let them enlighten the world with information, more just and irresistible, respecting their Maker and themselves. Let them discover a deity more pure, wise, powerful, and gracious, account for the origin and connexion of created beings with greater probability, and show us, on more consistent principles, why we are placed in this mysterious state of existence. Let them publish laws more calculated to civilize and govern society, sanctioned with more powerful and rational motives. Let them vindicate the ways of God to man. Show, "Why the good man's share in life is bitterness and gall. "Why the lone widow, and her pining offspring, starve in solitude; "Whilst luxury in palaces strain the low thoughts to form unreal wants." Direct those, who "drag guilt's horrid chain," to certain peace. When all these glorious ends are effected; when their rays have, with meridian lustre, diffused these cheering views through "every nation, kindred, and tongue;" when kings on thrones, and slaves at the oar, are made free from perplexity and sorrow, by the force of their arguments; let them add one glorious discovery more-unveil futurity, and show us life and immortality; or show us, that "Death is nothing, and nothing after death." Let them disarm the monster of his sting; bruise him beneath our feet; convince us, we are not the captives of this "king of terrors." Here, ye lovers of the human race, here unfold the astonishing benevolence of your designs; place yourselves, as in the centre of the sun"Best image here below of his Creator;" and with the rays he "pours wide from world to world," contemplate myriads of beings shivering on the verge of a dark futurity; see the tremendous misgivings of their minds, and let the sight move you to tears more genuine than those shed over a devoted city;-proclaim to listening worlds the wondrous theme. Let every ear hear, every heart understand, that "death is swallowed up in victory;" when this is done, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will disappear as stars before the rising sun. Truth and peace will spread over the earth; the advocates of revelation will no longer perplex the world with their foolishness-they will become your witnesses-they will publish your glad tidings to the ends of the earth-they will not count their lives dear unto them, if by any means they may spread truths so full of consolation to their fellow-creatures. They wait, then, for this pleasing system; but till it is clearly made known; till it is attended with undeniable evidence, they must cleave to Moses and the prophets-to Christ and his apostles; they must make known their sentiments with zeal, proportioned to the greatness of their views, and the opposition they engage.-[From the Congregational Magazine for February, 1828.] EXTRACT FROM AN ESSAY ON "THE The mind, in the act of believing, assumes the attitude of obedience to the free invitations of the Saviour. To perceive the truth of this remark, it is only necessary to recal to our recollection the fact, that the reason which prevents the sinner from believing in Christ, is the depravity of his nature. If unbelief proceeded from a defect of intellectual capacities, or from a deficiency of evidence, it would not be a sin. But in the case of those who are denominated unbelievers by the divine word, there is no defect of intellect, but merely a want of disposition to exercise its powers, and no deficiency of evidence, but merely a disinclination to examine what is declared by God, on the allimportant subject of salvation. The cause of unbelief exists in the state of the affections and desires, by the influence of which the whole soul is darkened: and, for this reason, genuine faith in the Son of God supposes the renovation of the heart. Now, if it be admitted, that that man only who has been born from above can truly believe the divine testimony, and that his renewed mind esteems the good which the Gospel reveals as really desirable, it must follow, that in the act of believing, he appropriates the blessings of salvation to himself, by the affections and desires of his heart, as well as by the exercise of his rational powers. It appears, from these observations, that faith may justly be represented as dependence, or reliance, on the word of Christ for salvation. It is true, that dependence is not necessarily included in the abstract idea of crediting a testimony; but it is equally undeniable, that there may be particular acts of faith which realize all that this term expresses. If one man, entirely worthy of credit, were to promise to another, that he would give him, on a fixed day, a certain sum of money, the person to whom this promise is conceived to be made would certainly depend on his friend for its fulfilment; but in such a case as this, I know of nothing more that is meant by his depending on his friend, than the sim ple fact, that he believes his friend's promise. There is, indeed, supposed, that this promised sum of money is to him, who expects to receive it, a desirable object; but his dependence is not for this reason the less an exercise of faith. In like manner, dependence on Christ supposes, that the benefits he confers are seen to be desirable; but, still, it is to be regarded as partaking of the nature of credence. Every act of believing is not the faith of the Gospel; but the faith of the Gospel is as really believing a testimony as any other species of faith. I am aware that such terms as dependence, trust, reliance, have been frequently defined to express an effect of faith, rather than the exercise of faith itself: but I am inclined to hazard the opinion, that this is an erroneous sentiment, and that these terms are only various modes of representing that faith itself which the Gospel requires: or, in other words, that believing in Christ for salvation, is a believing in such circumstances as to constitute that state of mind which we designate by these and similar phrases. That which renders sav ing faith something peculiar, so that it becomes necessary to distinguish it from other kinds of assent, is the fact to which I have already adverted, that it can be exercised only by one who has become the subject of regenerating grace. All that is requisite to give to the blessings of salvation a particular direction to any individual of the fallen race, is disposition to receive these: and as such a disposition certainly is not posterior to saving faith, but is rather its moving spring, so this faith necessarily supposes the removal of the only barrier to the enjoyment of spiritual good; and the believer apprehends the promise as having a particular direction to bimself, and as warranting the confidence and repose of his soul, as fully as if there were not another human being in existence. The testimony of Christ in his word is, that he will fulfil the desire of all who seek him: if, therefore, having a desire for salvation, a man believes this testimony, his faith, doubtless, includes a confidence that he will not be rejected. This confidence seems to have been required by the apostles, in the very first act of coming to Christ. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ," said Paul and Silas to the Philippian jailer, "and thou shalt be saved.” There can, I think, be no doubt that this language ought to be regarded as exhorting the jailer to exercise confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that the object of this confidence was, that he would obtain from him the salvation which he desired. Let it not be objected, that this view of the subject encourages a presumptuous confidence: for after this trust, which the divine word requires, has been exercised, it must be tried by the evidences of faith. If it does not produce the fruits of holiness it must be spurious; for it is a plain maxim of the Bible, that all who trust in Christ for salvation, do actually obtain salvation from him: and, for this reason, the want of that holiness, in which, principally, salvation consists, is absolute demonstration that there has not been genuine trust. A persuasion, rations of the Gospel as applicable to my own case: for I do not understand these declarations, nor do I see my need of the good which they contain. In conclusion, the subject of saving faith, or the truth believed, is, that Christ is willing actually to deliver the soul from sin and all its effects. This faith is necessary, not only when the sinner first becomes interested in the blessings of the Gospel, but throughout the whole period of the Christian's life on earth. This will appear, if we consider that salvation is progressive, and that never does the time arrive in this world when it is fully enjoyed. But that part which is still unattained must be an object of faith, and can be actually enjoyed only as the gracious reward of faith, and of that obedience with which faith is inseparably connected. Past salvation is a matter of experience and memory: future salvation is a matter of faith and hope. The Christian is required to believe that all things are working together for his good and for the purpose of strengthening this persuasion, there are promises in the word of God adapted to every condition in which he can be placed, by believing which he advances from strength to strength, till in due time he receives the final end of his faith, the salvation of the soul, including complete deliverance from evil, and admission into the presence and kingdom of God.-Congregational Magazine. that Christ is willing to save me in EXTRACT FROM "HYMNS FOR INFANT I particular, supposes that I know what salvation is: but if I entirely mistake the nature of salvation, I cannot believe such a proposition. may fancy that I believe it, I may assert in the strongest language that I believe it; but I have not that faith which respects the decla Vol. VII-Ch. Adv. SCHOOLS." We have been struck with the adaptedness, in thought and language, of the following lines, to the capacity of children in infant schools. We have not seen the collection of Hymns, but take the extract from a notice of the work H |