parted, he said to a particular female friend, for whom he felt the highest esteem, "I have nothing but the atonement of Christ to rest upon: but my mind is all shattered to pieces." He continued much in the same state till Wednesday morning about nine o'clock. Then he found an evident change in himself. When he asked for a glass of wine and water, which he took, he said with great composure, "That is the last I take in this world." His mourning widow, referring to that time, says, “To my son and myself, who were alone with him, he said, 'I must now bid you farewell.' He desired the other two children then in the house to be called, of whom he took an affectionate leave; also of a young female friend who had kindly assisted in attending upon him; also of the nurse. When he had so done, he desired all to leave the room with the exception of myself. He then desired me to give his dying blessing to all his absent children. I then inquired if I could do any thing for him? He answered, 'You can do nothing more but pray for me.' Then he lay for about an hour, when he fell asleep in Jesus. His departure was without a sigh, or the least struggle, on the 2nd of January, 1839, aged 63 years and nine months." As an additional testimony to the state of the deceased's mind on his approach to eternity, the writer may remark, the following sentences were addressed to him by the departed man of God:-"My dear brother, I die a poor sinner at the foot of the cross. If I am soon to depart, I know and am quite aware what an amazing change there will be in my state (looking solemnly up to heaven.) We know not what eternity is, but Christ Jesus is my entire hope. I do not possess that extraordinary joy some speak of, and indeed my mind is so confused at times by my affliction, that it is difficult to keep my thoughts on religious subjects, or to pray; and if all were to do now between me and God, it could not be done: but I have sought the Saviour before, and on him I rest I know he is mighty to save; and I know his promises, and I trust there, and nowhere else." Two of the nearest Dissenting ministers in the neighbourhood of Henham frequently saw and conversed with the departed minister; and his remarks, as well as his solemn and ardent responses to their prayers, and the expressions of affectionate gratitude, will not soon be forgotten. It is also refreshing to the spirit, in these times of agitation and alienation too prevalent between Churchmen and Dissenters, to record that a pious minister of the Church of England repeatedly visited him, and largely conversed with him in his last sickness. This is as it should be; and will be more satisfactory in the review than all the party acrimony so unworthy of those who are fellow-labourers of the one Divine Master. On January 11th the remains of the deceased were deposited in the Henham Dissenting chapel under the pulpit; when the Scriptures were read and prayer offered by the Rev. Mr. Hopkins, of Newport; the Rev. T. Pavitt, of Bishop's Stortford, giving out a hymn; and the Rev. T. Pinchback, of Stansted Mount Fitchett, gave the address. Friends of the deceased from different parts of the kingdom were present on the mournful occasion, and the elders and others of the church were pall-bearers. The funeral sermon was preached at Henham the following Sabbath afternoon, January 13th, by the Rev. T. Pinchback, to a crowded and deeply-affected auditory, from Heb. xiii. 7, 8, "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation: Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." HINTS FOR THE MALE AND FEMALE MEMBERS OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. Ir is pleasing to a pious pastor to hear one and another exclaim, "Sir, what must I do to be saved ?" With what deep interest will he observe the gradual development of gracious principles! His gratification will be much increased by the serious impressions becoming permanent, and by the deter mination of such individuals to connect themselves with the people of God. "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." There is a similar joy in the pastor's mind when true converts are enabled to say to him and his church, "We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." A prayerful, a devoted, and an active church will duly appreciate the feelings of such a pastor, and will aid him by their intercessions, and by their activity. They will take such converts by the hand, and will say to each, "Come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel." When this spirit prevails, such churches will be anxious to know how they may become useful, and how they may encourage their ministers by letting them see that they also are concerned for the glory of God, and the enlargement of his church. To such the following hints are submitted: : HINTS AS TO PERSONAL PIETY. True religion lies at the foundation of all usefulness. Really regenerate characters are the only persons who will aim at the conversion of sinners, and at promoting the glory of Christ. Cultivate, then, a devotional spirit. Read the word of God prayerfully. Attend Sabbath-day and week-day services diligently and devotionally. Rest continually upon the atonement of Christ. HINTS AS TO SEEKING DIVINE INFLUENCE. Think much of its great importance. Get a thorough acquaintance with those portions of the word of God which refer to this valuable favour. Frequently plead in earnest devotion the promises which name this blessing. Desire that your dearest connexions, the pastor, the teachers, the schools, the church, and the congregation, may be largely "baptised with the Spirit." Look for answers to your prayers. Pray for this influence to rest upon particular persons. Mention them by name to God at his "throne of grace" in the retirement of the closet. HINTS AS TO SOCIAL PRAYER- It is taken for granted that you have such meetings, in addition to the weekly one at which the pastor presides. If not, establish them immediately. These are the best indications of a church's prosperity. Be short in your devotions. Never exceed five or eight minutes. Long preaching-prayers are the bane of our prayer-meetings. Be fervent. Imbibe the spirit which will lead you each to say to God, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." Keep up the practice of having some weighty topic to remember in prayer. Let one pray for the young, another for the church, another for the congregation, another for unconverted relatives, another for a blessing on the preached word, and all for the pastor. Never let your meetings exceed one hour. You will do much in that time, if you employ it well. Do not spend too much of the hour in singing hymns. One or two verses will be sufficient. Psalms of six or seven verses, with a tedious drawling tune, have a tendency to lead the persons present to say, "Behold, what a weariness is it!" HINTS AS TO YOUR DUTIES AS MEMBERS. 66 Study to be united. A divided and a quarrelsome people cannot be a prosperous people. Union is strength." Cultivate this more and more. Strive to promote peace. Avoid tattling, talebearing, and evil-speaking. All this is very much condemned by the word of God. Cherish a sacred, Christian, and constant affection for your fellow-members. Look over little offences which may have been given. "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." Be regular and uniform in your visits at the appointed means of grace. Remember it is said, "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee." "Those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall flourish in the courts of our God." HINTS AS TO USEFULNESS. You may be useful by continuing to distribute tracts, and by speaking a few words when you call for them. By trying, in a kind way, to persuade fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and other relatives, to attend with you at the same place of worship. By inviting those acquaintances and neighbours, who never visit the temple of God, to accompany you on the Lord's day; by noticing strangers who come to the chapel, and especially those who seem serious, attentive, and frequent in their attendance; by walking consistently, example always tells more powerfully than precept; by letting the pastor know of any instances of good which may have been effected, and by forwarding as much as possible his general and special labours; by being very punctual and diligent as Sabbath-school teachers, as missionary collectors, and by instructing the larger and poorer boys and girls in writing and arithmetic on some week evening this would encourage them, and lead them to become attached to the place; by visiting the sick, the afflicted, and the bereaved-Jesus visited the sick mother-in-law of Peter, and wept at the grave of Lazarus, Matt. viii, Bury. 66 J. K. ON BAPTISMAL REGENERATION. He who said, " as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world," when consulted by a master in Israel, began the exposé of his doctrine by saying, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." But, beside this door of entrance into the kingdom, there has been placed, not, indeed, another door, but a painted likeness, to deceive the eye, and induce unwary souls to attempt to enter where they will find no entrance. We should, therefore, bend our anxious attention both to the Scriptural doctrine of Regeneration, and to the false doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration. I. Let us examine the Scriptural doctrine of Regeneration. This should be first studied, both for its own sake, and for the sake of that which follows; for rectum est norma sui et obliqui. In a disputed point, we may be assisted to come at the truth concerning any work of grace, by considering the necessity for it-the author to whom it is ascribed the names by which it is designated-the means, or instruments, employed to produce it-and the effects which are said to follow from it. Let us try the question of Regeneration by all these tests. 1. What is the necessity for Regeneration? or what reasons do the Scriptures assign why we must be born again? Religion is a reasonable service, and God has condescended to treat us as reasonable creatures, by assigning reasons for the various doctrines of the Gospel, especially where our duty is concerned. For the doctrine of justification by faith, he gives this reason: that the law of works condemns us, and God has chosen that our justification should be "by faith, that it might be by grace, that no flesh should glory in his presence, but he that glorieth should glory in the Lord." For sanctification he has assigned this reason: that we are polluted, and nothing that is defiled can enter into his presence. Our Redeemer, seeing Nicodemus stumble at the doctrine of regeneration, proves the necessity of it, by the doctrine of origi nal sin,-"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit; therefore a man must be born of the Spirit." If, then, the depravity which we inherit by the first birth makes a second necessary; this second must cure the evil consequent on the first; and nothing that fails to do this can be regeneration. The cure may at first be only incipient; as our depravity also does not at first show itself in all its force; but regeneration must be such a change of our nature as will at last remedy the evil which made it necessary for us to "be born again ;” that is to say, the regenerate must finally be holy. Whatever does not cure the evil of our first birth, has no right to the name of the second. 2. Who is the author of regeneration? or to whom do the Scriptures ascribe it? Certain operations are sometimes ascribed to a mere instrument, without intending to exclude the superior agent; but there are some works that are exclusively appropriated to God. For instance, creation is claimed as the sole prerogative of God. "Thus saith the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth." Revelation opens with this sentence :"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Jehovah, therefore, claims the title of the Creator as his exclusive property; for "thus saith the Lord: the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from under the heavens and from off the earth." In like manner God claims regeneration as his own work. Those who re ceive Christ and become sons of God, by believing on his name, are said to be "born, not of blood, nor of the will of man, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God." Can then any one suppose that men are regenerated in baptism, which is performed by hands of flesh, according to the will of man? They who can reconcile these things may believe any contradictory propositions. As our Redeemer again and again speaks of being born of the Spirit; so he compares it to the wind which bloweth where it listeth, and we cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth;" to show that the work of regeneration is not subject to our will. But if men are regenerated in baptism, the baptiser regenerates whom he pleases. The apostle John, in his first epistle, repeatedly speaks of being born of God, in a way that excludes the notion of human instrumentality, as well as agency; for regeneration, in the strictest sense, admits no instrument. 3. What are the terms by which regeneration is taught, or expressed, in Scripture? These are various, the one throwing light on the other, and the whole forming a complete mass of evidence concerning the nature of the change. It has been disputed whether the word avoley, which John employs, should be translated, born from above, or, as our translators have rendered it, born again; for the Greek admits of either rendering. But our Lord spake Syriac, and in the version into that language we see no reason for the expression born from above; and if Nicodemus had so understood the Saviour's words, he would scarcely have spoken of entering a second time into his mother's womb," which would have been no more being born from above than was the first birth. "To be born over again" is, then, the language of the great Teacher concerning that change which is necessary to remedy the evil of our first birth; since that which is born of the flesh is flesh. Just so, we say of a thing which is done badly; it must be done over again. Now, it was by no rite or ceremony that we were born at first, but by a mysterious operation of our Creator alone, acting according to the original law of creation, that the offspring shall be like the parent, which would have operated for good, if man had continued in innocence; but as this law, in consequence of the fall, causes us to be born in sin, "by nature children of wrath," our Redeemer says we must be born over again, and that by the Spirit, that we, like our new parent, may be spirit, or spiritual. Here there is nothing to suggest the idea of regeneration by a rite, or ceremony, like baptism. Of being born of water, I shall speak presently. The noun which we render regeneration is found but twice in the Scriptures. In one passage, Matthew xix. 28, it applies to a different subject, a change, not in individuals, but in the state of affairs: as the French, during the progress of their revolution, used to speak of the regeneration of their country. Thus our Lord says, "Ye who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne," &c. 66 The other passage, Titus iii. 5, 6, where aλiyyevesta occurs, our translators render thus, he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour." This has been seized, as affording countenance to the doctrine of baptismal regeneration, because Aarpov may be translated laver, and, what is remarkable, some baptists have caught at this, as if they supposed that the priests in the temple got into the laver (the only one to which Paul can be supposed to allude) to baptise by immersion; when it is well known that the water was drawn off to baptise their hands and feet only, by affusion. To such a baptism, not by immersion, but by affusion, the apostle evidently alludes, when he says, "the Holy Ghost is shed on us abundantly." But how can we find baptism here? The word is not mentioned. There is no mention of any operation but that of the Holy Ghost. The only washing here is that of the renewing of our nature, which had just before been described as polluted. The phrase baptismal regeneration, then, is utterly unauthorised by Scripture. The term begotten is applied to this change, as a natural correlative to "regeneration," to being "born again." Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him: by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments," 1 John v. 1, 2. The apostle James, speaking of God, says, "of his own will begat he us, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures." These expressions give no hint of the rite of baptism. Resurrection is another term employ. ed to express the change intended by regeneration. As our Redeemer had said, in his preaching, "the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and they that hear shall live;" so Paul says, "when we were dead in sin, he has quickered us together with Christ: for by grace are ye saved. Therefore awake, thou that sleepest, and Christ shall give thee life." This language excludes the idea of baptismal ration, and presents that of a change by the immediate power of God. as wrought by God, the sovereign au- have seen regeneration ascribed to God But in the latter sense, viewing regeneration as recognised by the moral governor, it is spoken of as if produced when elicited and recognised: but this is not by baptism, but by the word of God. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever; and this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you." In this sense, ministers may be spiritual fathers, as the apostle says to the Corinthians, “though you have ten thousand instructors, ye have not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you by the gospel;" not by baptism. That change which is wrought by God, as a sove reign, is not recognised by him as a moral governor till it produces its apregene-propriate effects; and these are elicited by the word of the gospel. For the new creature is known by the new reception he gives to the word, so that he who believes that Jesus is the Christ is recognised as one born of God; and things are said to begin to exist, when they begin to appear; de non existentibus et non apparentibus eadem ratio. The utmost that can be conceded to our opponents is, that the relation which they attempt to establish between baptism and regeneration is, in Scripture, assigned rather to the word and regeneration; for we are never said to be regenerated, or born again by baptism, but we are expressly said to be born again by the word of truth, which is the instrument of that regeneration that is recognised by the moral governor. The same may be said of the last term that I shall mention, a new creation. "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained, that we should I walk in them." "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, (or new creation :) old things are passed away: all things are become new.' Thus David prays, "create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Creation excludes the idea of human instrumentality, such as is employed in baptism; and thus the scriptural terms for the great change conspire to condemn the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. 4. What are the instruments, or means, employed to produce regeneration ? This inquiry may seem to be precluded by what has been said of God as the immediate author of the change. But the Scriptures often speak of the same work in two different ways; first, It remains now that we inquire, 5. What are the effects by which regeneration may be known? This is a question of the last importance; for we know nothing in its own abstract nature, but are trained up by our Maker to know things by their ef fects and consequences. We know fire |