of the gospel dispensation, must be "born again," must become “ a new creature," and "put on the new man," imply a corruption of his present nature, and plainly prove, that a great change must have taken place since God "created man in his own image, and saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was good." Notwithstanding the plain and obvious sense of the above passages, the Pelagians formerly maintained, and the Socinians still contend, that Adams' mortality belonged to his original nature; that his sin was merely personal, and confined to himself, and did not in any respect affect his posterity. But upon the authorities which have been just stated, we hold, that" original guilt standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk, but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit. The article proceeds to state," and therefore in every person born into this world it deserveth God's wrath and damnation." These words imply that every person who is born into the world, exclusive of the sins which he himself commits, or even if he does not live to commit sin, is on account of the disobedience and guilt of Adam, subject to the wrath and punishment of God; and we have seen the same thing intimated in the second article, where it is said, that Christ suffered" as a sacrifice not only for original guilt, but also for the actual sins of men. "And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek PHRONEMA SARKOS which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some the desire of the flesh, is not subject to the law of God." That the corruption of nature does always remain, every one must know from his own experience; and that it is not subject to the law of God, is expressly asserted by St. Paul: The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be" Rom. viii. 7. The members of the church of Rome maintain, that original sin is entirely taken away by baptism; but there is no authority for this opinion in scripture; on the contrary, St. Paul says to the Galatian converts, "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things which ye would" Gal. v. 17, and St. Peter admonishes the Christians to whom he writes, "to abstain from leshly lusts, which war against the soul: 1 Pet. ii. 11, and St. Jamesays, " Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed," James i. 14. These Epistles were all written to persons who had been baptized, and the apostles evidently consider them as still liable to the "infection of nature," contracted by the fall of man." That there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized, we learn from St. Paul; There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Rom. viii. 1. Faith in Christ, joined with repentance and a sincere endeavor to obey his commands, will, through the merits of his death, avert the punishment T due to our sins, and procure us admission into the kingdom of heaven. "Yet the apostle doth confess that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin." The passage here alluded to is generally understood to be the following; "What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. Romans chap. vii. 7. The following Prayer the pious Bishop Wilson used daily for his Parents. "O Almighty Lord God, to whom the obedience of children to their parents is most acceptable, and all disobedience most displeasing; give me grace, that I may always observe my parents with all kind of duty, obey them in all their just commands; be aiding to them if ever they shall stand in need of my assistance; that I may bear all their reproofs, and the infirmities of their old age patiently; and that I may never grieve them by stubborn and evil courses. "Good Lord, forgive all the offences that I have at any time committed against my parents; increase the number of their days; keep them safe in body and mind; support them under all the sicknesses and infirmities of their declining years; make thy fatherly corrections as easy to them as to thee seemeth most meet; but make them useful to that great end, the salvation of their souls. "Grant, O Lord, that they may see their offspring prosper in the fear of thee; and to this end, I most humbly beseech thee to give the same graces and good things to my brethren and sisters which I ask for myself; and especially the grace of obedience to thee and to our dear parents, for whose care over us, and for all their god. ly instructions, we can never be sufficiently thankful to thee and to them. Hear, O blessed Lord, all our prayers for them and for one another, that when any of us shall depart this life, we may do it in peace and in thy favor; and that those who are left behind may not have reason to grieve as men without hope. Grant these things, O Father of mankind, for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen. 12. ace Pulpit Eloquence. The following elevated strain of pulpit eloquence is extracted from a collection of sermons, published under the title of "The Scotch Preacher." "TWICE had the sun gone down upon the earth, and all was yet silent as the sepulchre: Death held his scepter over the Son of God: still and silent the hours passed on the guards stood at their posts; the rays of the midnight moon gleamed on their hel mets, and on their spears; the enemies of Christ exulted in their success: the hearts of his friends were sunk in despondency and in sorrow; the spirits of glory waited in anxious suspense to behold the event, and wondered at the depth of the ways of God. At length the morning star, arising in the east, announced the approach of light; the third day began to dawn upon the world; when on a sudden the earth trembled to its centre, and the powers of Heaven were shaken; an angel of God descended; the guards shrunk back from the terror of his presence, and fell prostrate on the ground: his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow : he rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre, and sat upon it. "But who is this that cometh forth from the tomb; with dyed garments from the bed of death? He that is glorious in his appearance, walking in the greatness of his strength! It is thy Prince, O Zion-Christian! it is your Lord. He hath trodden the wine-press alone; he hath stained his raiment with blood; but now as the first born from the womb of nature, he meets the morning of his resurrection; he arises a conqueror from the grave; he returns with blessings from the world of spirits: he brings salvation to the sons of men. Never did the returning sun usher in a day so glorious! It was a jubilee of the universe: "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted aloud for joy." The Father of mercies looked down from his throne in the Heavens; with complacency he beheld his world restored; he saw his work that it was good. Then did the desart rejoice; the face of nature was gladdened before him, when the blessings of the Eternal descended, as the dew of Heaven for the exaltation of man to future glory in the world above." FOR THE CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE. MR. EDITOR, Natural Religion. AS it is of momentous consideration that we maintain the first principles of pure religion, I shall make no apology for requesting the admission of the following extract into your Magazine. "The foundation of all religion is the belief of a God, who is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him. Now he that cannot, from the visible face of nature and the works of creation, collect and infer the invisible things of God: that cannot, from a just observation of the immensity, the order, and beauty of the vast system of the universe, infer the necessity of a first cause, all-wise, all-powerful, and in every kind and degree of perfection, absolutely perfect, must be a creature of contracted views, narrow apprehensions and a poor understanding; whom, without breach of charity or good manners, we may venture to pronounce as the royal Psalmist does, a fool. The man that allows the existance of such a perfect Being, and does not consider the relation he stands in to that Being, and the several obligations and duties arising from that relation, must be a stupid inconsiderate creature, who has not so good a title to honor and gratitude as the beasts of the field; for, as the prophet says, the ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master's crib." To what sort of a place in the other world those will be destined, who in this, assert that neither the existence of God nor moral obli gation are deducible from creation and providence, I shall not hazard an opinion. In this world however, they cannot be ranked among the most potent and consistent advocates for revelation and positive institutions. On the inestimable importance of laying in a stock of knowledge at the proper season of life, Felltham has these excellent observations. "The Misery of an Ignorant old Age. "AS old age is not only a collection of discases, but even a disease of itself, and by the decree which Providence hath passed upon man, incurable, save by death; the best thing, next to a remedy, is a diversion or an abatement of the malady. The cold Corelian cannot change his clime: but yet by furs and fires he can preserve himself in a bosterous and icy winter. The drum and fife sometimes can drown the battle's noise, when there is no way to escape it. The little pismire does instruct great man, that, winter coming, store should be provided. And what thing is there, within the fathom of his industry, that can so well support him under the decay and infirmities of age, as knowledge, study, and meditation? With this, a man can feast at home alone, and in his closet put himself into whatever company shall best please him; with youth's vigor, age's gravity, beauty's pleasantness, with peace or war, as he may like best. tediousness of decrepid age, and the divine raptures of contemVirtuous study will relieve the plation will beguile the weariness of the pillow and the chair. It makes him not unpleasing to the young, revered by the aged, and beloved of all. A grey head, with a wise mind, enriched by learning, is a treasury of grave precept, experience, and wisdom. It is an oracle to which the lesser wise resort to know their fate. He that can read and meditate, need not think the evening long, or life irksome; it is, at all times, a fit employment, and a particular solace to him who is bowed down with years. Without this, an old man is but the lame shadow of that which once he was. They honor him too far that say he is twice a child. There is something in children that carries a becoming prettiness with it, which is pleasing and of grateful relish. But ignorant old age is the worst picture that time can draw of man. It is a barren vine in autumn, a leaky vessel ready to drop in pieces at every remove, a nap of mental and corporeal weakness; not pleasing to others, and a burden to himself. His ignorance and imbecility condemn him to idleness, which to the active soul is more irksome than any employment. What can such a one do when strength of limbs shall fail, and the love of those pleasures which helped him to misspend his youth, shall, through time and languid age, become dull and blunted? Abroad he cannot stir, to amuse himself with what passes in the world; nor will others be fond of coming to him, when they shall find nothing but a man, composed of diseases and complaints, who for want of knowledge hath not discourse to keep reason company. Like the cuckoo, he may be left to his own moultering in some hollowed cell: but since the voice of his spring is gone (which yet was all the note he had to take us with) he is now no longer listened to, and in his melancholy hole he lazeth his life away. If study were valuable for nothing else, yet it would be highly so for this; that it makes a man his own companion without either the charge or the cumber of company. He is neither obliged to humour nor to flatter. He may hear his author speak as far as he likes, and leave him when he does not please him, nor will he be angry though he be not of his opinion. It is the guide of youth, to manhood a companion, and to old age a cordial and an antidote. If I die tomorrow, my life to-day will be somewhat the sweeter for knowledge. The answer was good which Antishenes gave, when he was asked, what fruit he had reaped of all his studies. By them (said he) I have learned, both to live and discourse with myself.” POETRY. O King of Saints, O triune God, Bow the high heav'ns and lend thine ear, O make this house thy fix'd abode And let the heav'nly dove rest here. Within these walls may Jesus's charms Allure ten thousand souls to love, And all supported by his arms, Shine bright in realms of bliss above. There saints of ev'ry tribe and tongue The Spirit and the great I AM. And world to world repeat the sound. To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, By all on earth and all in heav'n." |