essential to our happiness in this world as well as in that which is yet to come?

Heaven's scheme of mental and moral purification is the belief of the gospel. Peter long ago affirmed that God purified the hearts of the Gentiles by faith. Now this "faith which purifies the heart," is the belief of Christ's gospel as it was proclaimed to the Gentiles at the beginning. Of this gospel Paul says, "It is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth: for in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith, as it is written, The just shall live by faith;" for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all angodliness and unrighteousness of men." This revelation of God's purity, made in the gospel, is the great moral instrument for delineating his image upon our hearts, for transforming our souls anew.

The contemplation of the gospel as a transcript of all the divine excellencies, is the first and most requisite means of sanctification. It is this, and not the law of ten commands, which merits the title of a transcript of God's perfections. There is justice and righteousness, but no mercy, nor reconciling love in the law; whereas in the gospel "justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne;" while "mercy and truth go before his face." The universe reveals nine grand perfections of God-wisdom, power, and goodness; justice, truth, and holiness; mercy, condescension, and love. Nature unfolds the first three; moral government, the second three; the gospel, the last three; and places them all in such an attitude and combination as reconciles, subdues and renews the heart to God. They are all infinite, immutable, and eternal; but these are perfections of perfections, as knowledge is of wisdom, and need not a separate existence or demonstration.

To consider the gospel as a perfect transcript of the divine exccllencies, is the best means of delineating the moral image of Jehovah on the moral nature of man. Hence the awful danger of corrupting the gospel of Christ, and the philosophy of Paul's solemn anathema on those who, instead of Christ's gospel, preach one of their own.the impotency of all false gospels consists in two great points:First, in not fully reconciling the heart to God's government; second, in not thoroughly purifying it from the love and practice of sin.

It is not without good reason that Socinianism and Pelagianism have been denounced by the most eminent saints in these times, because of their want of power to purify the heart. The reasonings of a Newton and a Bunyan terminated in the point that "the system which most humbled the sinner, exalted the Saviour, and glorified God, was the most powerful means of moral purification, and most consopant with that philanthropy which shines forth in the gospel." My

experience and observation very remarkably harmonize with those views; and I am confident that the power of the gospel to save and to fit for heaven, will always be found pre-eminently to consist in its being a perfect and full transcript of all the moral excellencies of Jehovah as a just God and a Saviour. This fits the heart for the residence of the Holy Spirit; and therefore I place a clear and full apprehension of the Divine Father, as revealed in the gospel transcript of his character, as the first and most essential means of moral purification, without which the heart never can be in this life a habitation of God through the Spirit.' A. C.

Ohio River, 22d Feb. 1841.

A SCRIPTURAL VIEW OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND PRIVILEGE.

[Continued from page 187.]

Section 5. I BESEECH you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." "Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? That your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which you have of God; and that you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God with your body, and with your spirit, which are God's." "Whether, therefore, you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."-"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. -Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks.—And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption.""Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.-And whatever you do in word, or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, even the Father, by him."-"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, (semna-dignified, grave, serious, venerable,) whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if any praise, think on these things." Rom. xii. 1, 2; 1 Cor. vi. 15, 19, 20, and x. 31; Eph. iv. 29, 30; and v. 4; Col. iii. 16, 17; Phil. iv. 8. I would just remark with respect to this last quotation, that the approved and eligible items therein specified, and which are indeed very comprehensive, not only condemn and prohibit every thing of a contrary nature and tendency; but also, that the only rule and standard of judging what the things are, that

are justly entitled to the above epithets of "true, honest, just, pure," &c. must be the very letter and spirit of the holy scriptures exhibited in the divine declarations, invitations, precepts, promises, and approv ed examples of the sacred canon; and not according to the opinions and customs of the world. "For all that is in the world,-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world: therefore, "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John ii. 15, 16.

In the preceding section we have taken a glimpse of the blissful and glorious privileges of the genuine Christian, both with respect to the transcendant glory of his ultimate destiny, and also-to the blissful nature and insuperable efficiency of the means divinely appointed for this glorious purpose. In this we proceed to consider the exclusive and paramount obligations imperiously and naturally resulting from the divine love, mercy, and condescension, so transcendently manifested towards us, both in our present and future salvation. To this the Apostle calls us by the most endearing consideration:-"1 beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies (oiktirmon-compassions)of God." This exhortation is evidently founded upon the whole of the premises, from the beginning of the epistle which contains a very striking summary exhibition of the ruinous and terrible condition of the whole human family, notwithstanding all that God has done, and suffered, in the exercise of long suffering patience, for the amelioration of their condition, previous to the commencement of the gospel dis pensation; and in this, especially, the transcendent display of his lov ing kindness and tender mercies for the relief and deliverance of the perishing guilty; irrespective of every thing, on their part, but their wretched, guilty, perishing condition. Upon these premises, duly apprehended, the Apostle founds his plea for Christians' entire devo tion to God, in body, soul, and spirit, as their reasonable service, and most blissful privilege; that they might thus prove, to their happy experience, the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God; and so enjoy a heaven upon earth. It surely becomes us, therefore, to con sider, with the greatest possible attention, all the Lord would have us to observe and do for this blissful purpose. In order to this, we have selected a few quotations of a very general and comprehensive import; and which, it appears, are divinely intended to supply the place of an indefinite number of precepts, which, otherwise, would have been necessary to complete the catalogue of our moral and religious duties; -and are therefore as obligatory, and as necessary to the formation of Christian character, as if the intended items had been distinctly speci fied: nor, indeed, are they less intelligible to the candid professor, who sincerely desires to be, what God would have him to be; that is, a person entirely devoted to God. To evince the truth of this assertion, and so to edify the reader, we now proceed to analyze and review our premises. 1st. "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy-to God." 2d. "Be not conformed to this world; but-transformed by the renewing of your mind." 3d. "Glorify God with your bodies, and with your spirits, which are God's." 4th. "Whether, therefore, you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 5th." Whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him." 6th. "Let the

word of Christ dwell in you richly; with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." 7. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers." 8th "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are venerable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if any praise, think on these things." In this analysis, in order to abbreviate and simplify as much as possible, we have merely aimed at repeating the preceptive injunctions, omitting the annexed motives and reasons contained in the text, which we would still be understood to consider and feel in all their force.

We have here at least eight general comprehensive precepts, no two of which are precisely the same. Yet between severals of them there is an evident connective coincidence. The first and second of them present the whole man, body and mind, requiring the entire devotion of each to God, with the proper reasons for so doing the former as a living, that is, a perpetual sacrifice to God; the latter by renovationinto a continual disconformity to the unregenerate world. Again, the third embodies them both. And the fourth and fifth covers the whole field of action, both as to matter and manner. The sixth and seventh prescribe the means by which these things are to be accomplished. And the eighth and last supplies the ellipsis, if any such there be.

Now for the practical application. If the first and second of these general precepts were duly observed, what a holy and temperate use would professors make of their souls and bodies. What a healthgiving, labor-saving, soul-improving alteration would be produced in their food, raiment, furniture, and manners. And this would naturally dispose and lead them to the blissful obedience of the third, which calls us to the happiest employment under heaven; namely, to "glorify God with our bodies and spirits, which are his." And this again would lead to the dutiful obedience of the fourth and fifth; namely, to have but one and the same intention in every thing-that whether we ate or drank; or whatever we did in word or deed; it would all be done to the glory of God, in an acceptable manner; that is, "in the name of the Lord Jesus," with thanksgiving. Now to be thus actuated intentionally and practically according to the letter and spirit of those precepts, what a blissful change it would make upon the face of Christian society? And what a powerful tendency would it have to ameliorate the condition of the non-professing world? What a countless number of acts and practices-sayings and doings, that now pass without censure, would be abandoned with abhorrence? Yea, several of our admired and ingenious trades, and fine arts, would fall into disrepute; all these, at least, that merely cater for the gratification of "tl e lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." Wha, then, would become of our luxurious cookeries, our distilleries, our drinking-houses, our grog-shops, our millineries; our balls, masquerades, and theatres; our gambling-houses, and their machinery, such as cards, dice, &c.—our cock-fights, horse-races, puppet-shows, fine paintings, sculpture, military tactics, and the whole machinery of death, &c. &c. &c. For could the persons engaged in those things do

them with a good conscience, "in the name of the Lord Jesus," to the glory of God, praying for his blessing upon their labors, and returning him thanks for their success? Or can we, indeed, upon Christian principle, do all or any of these things which only serve to gratify the aforesaid lusts? And what are these but a mere specimen of the unnumbered evils, evidently prohibited in those comprehensive precepts?

But the sixth and seventh brings nearer home to the religious use of the mind and tongue: of the former, in treasuring up the Word of Christ; of the latter, in making the proper use of it, both for the edification and comfort of ourselves and others; for duty and privilege are but two names for the same thing; and "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." What a laborious, unprofitable, and even hurtful use of the mouth and mind, would the conscientious observance of these two precepts happily prevent? And, at the same time, what an incalculable amount, both of profit and pleasure, would a due attention to them yield to the enjoyment of Christian society, and to the conversion of unbelievers? What an amount of useless reading-of vain and hurtful conversation would be prevented? And what time and money saved for infinitely better purposes?-How would it diminish the number of the eight hundred millions of newspapers, and of the one hundred thousand periodicals, which are annually poured forth from the American press, upon our fellow-citizens? And, last and best of all, how mightily would it contribute to the knowledge and enjoyment of God, which is the very essence of heaven itself?

But the eighth and last of those comprehensive precepts covers the whole ground,-embraces the whole compass of human thought, word, and action; and, of course, excludes the very possibility of an ellipsis in the sacred code. For if we thus reduce to practice, according to the dictation of the sacred volume, every thing that is true, honorable, or venerable, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and commendable; we will not only do every thing that we ought to do; but we will also do nothing that we ought not to do, either towards God or man. Thus would we be complete under Him, in whom all fulness dwells.

TO BE CONTINUED.]

T. C.

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THE PASSOVER AND THE LORD'S SUPPER.

I SUBMIT the following remarks upon the subject of the Passover and the Lord's Supper. The Lord said to his Apostles when he sent them on their mission to the nations, "Teach them [the disciples] to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." From which it is evident that those who take the scriptures for their guide in all matters of religious observance, should be very careful to ascertain the apostolic usage, and scrupulous to observe it. Yet I have observed among the churches, which profess to have taken the high ground of scriptural precept or precedent, to justify them in the administration

True it is, that we circulate eight hundred millions of newspapers in a year, and more than a hundred thousand quarterly and monthly periodicals American Eclectic, Vol i, No. 1, p. 6.