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all the evil which takes place, in | they embrace a distinct class of practical duties, and have been ufually named pofitive; a feparate view of them may be beneficial.

Christianity is diftinguished from other religions, by feveral inftitutions not to be found in any other religious fyftems. Thefe, although often confidered as not bearing any original relation to their object, will be found when duly confidered, as being well

Thefe inftitutions are the Chriftian miniftry; the visible church with its officers and difcipline; the Chriftian fabbath; and the facraments of the new teftament, viz. Baptifm and the Lord's fupper. 1. The Christian ministry.

a fubferviency to the beft good of the intelligent fyftem? But when they think of the Father of lights, and view him at the head of the univerfe, and confider the innumerable good and perfect gifts which he hath beftowed and is daily beftowing, and the immenfity of good which he hath promifed, or revealed it to be his purpose, yet to bestow or effect when they contemplate his glorious character, his infinite under-adapted to the nature and ends ftanding, knowledge and wisdom, of the Chriftian religion, and to his abfolute omnifcience and al- render the fyftem ftill more permighty power, his infinite juftice fect. and righteoufnefs, goodnefs and truth, grace and faithfulness--when they confider this all-fufficient and abfolutely perfect God as fitting on the throne, and doing as he pleafes in heaven and earth, working all things after the counsel of his will, for accomplishing the purposes of his own infinitely wife and benevolent heart, affuring us that he can and will do all his pleafure; they then fee folid ground and find abundant fource of fupport, comfort and joy. In the view and belief of this God at the head of the universe, and that he chang. eth not, they are affured that all will end well, in the greatest glory and happiness of his kingdom, notwithstanding all prefent dark and difmal appearances; and that fuch as trust in him are fafe, and will finally triumph over every evil, and find complete, everlafting happinefs in his eternal kingdom.

ASTHENES.

Harmony of Chriflianity.
(Concluded from p. 209.)

PART IV.
The Inftitutions of Chriflianity.

are indeed practical, but

This office was inftituted by Chrift, just before his afcenfion to glory, after he had prepared his apoftles for fo important a fervice. "Go ye, faid he, into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."- -"Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft; teaching them to obferve all things, whatfoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world." Thefe were to commit the preaching of the gospel to faithful men who fhould be able to teach others, and they again to those who fhould fucceed them under protection of the Redeemer's gracious promise just repeated, to the end of time.

The office and work of an evangelift, and that of a paftor or bishop are of the fame general na

a bifhop when properly called,

and the bifhop may alfo do the work of an evangelift, when the intereft of Christianity requires him. The appropriate work of an evangelift is to preach the gospel, administer baptifm, gather believers into a Christian society, and administer to them the Lord's fupper. The work of the bifhop primarily refpects the overfight of a particular church, meeting in one place, for divine worship and ordinances.

It is required that evangelifts or miffionaries be men eminent in the knowledge and faith of the gofpel, in the Chriftian temper, or graces of the Spirit, and of fuch fuperior abilities and attainments in knowledge and in minifterial gifts and accomplishments, as to be well able to teach others, and lead the public devotional exercifes, and whofe life and manners do honor to Chriftianity; and they must have a good report from those who are without.

2. The visible church with its officers and difcipline.

united with one heart in the faith, as it is Chrift, constitute his invifible church. Believers on earth conftitute the church militant; the faints in heaven conftitute the church triumphant.

The inftitutions of religion, celebrated in the former, are defigned and adapted for the converfion of finners, and the edification of faints, till they all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the meafure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift. In the church on earth the Chriftian difcipline is to be exercised, for the recovery of thofe who fall into herefy or immorality; this however is not a difcipline enforced by any corporal or pecuniary punishments, but is a difcipline of perfuafion and reproof, flowing from brotherly love, and the fpirit of Chriftianity in general. In this duty and labor the churches are to affift each other, when duly called, as the cafe may require. If all proper labor to reclaim the erring brother, prove ineffectual, and he appears to be irreclaimable, after the becoming exercife of brotherly patience and long fuffering, he muft be feparated from the communion of the church, as not being under the influence of gofpel motives and arguments, and to prevent the influence of his fin to the in

This holy fociety is inftituted by the authority of Chrift. "On this rock, faid he, will I build my church, and the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it." A vifible church of Chrift, meeting in one place, for divine ordinances, is conftituted of members, each making a credible profeffion of the faith of the gofpel, and fubmitting to its inftitutions and com-jury of others. mands. All of them apparently united in the faith, the fpirit and practice of Christianity; and all thus diftinguished from the world, though belonging to many different Chriftian congregations, or having different opinions and practices in the non-effentials of religion, conftitute the vifible catholic church of Christ on earth: And all thofe in heaven and earth

In thefe churches are to be placed ftated bifhops or paftors, whofe office and duty have been already mentioned.

Deacons are officers in particular churches, whofe official duties lie in affifting the paftor when needful, in fervices to the afflicted, in fupplying the wants of the needy from the collections of the church, and in providing for the

Lord's table and diftributing the facramental elements.

3. The Chriftian fabbath is a divine inftitution to be a day of holy reft, in thankful commemo ration of the reft of Jefus from his labors, by his refurrection from the dead. It is to be spent in the exercises of religion in private, in the public folemnities of divine worship, the miniftrations of the gofpel, and the celebration of the gofpel facraments, baptifm and the Lord's fupper.

4. Thefe facraments were inftituted by Chrift, to imprefs our minds by fuch fignificant emblems, with a fuitable fenfe of our dedication to him, on the terms of the gospel; our faith in his atonement; our trust in his fufficiency; our union to each other, and to all his difciples; and our hope in his falvation.

As thefe inftitutions of the gospel are passing in review, we cannot but reflect, how admirably they are adapted to their end; how they all point to the fame iffue, and agree with each other, and with Chriftianity in all its parts already confidered.

Conclufion.

While many inferences, which might be made from the preceding differtation, are paffed in filence, the reader is requested to give his ferious attention to thofe which follow.

1. The harmony of the Chriftian religion is a good evidence of its truth and divinity. Agreement in the various parts of a complicated fyftem is an important argument for the truth of the whole, because truth is ever confiftent with itself; but it is not fo with falfehood; in a complex fyftem of this, inconfiftencies and contradictions will abound. FurVOL. III. No. 7.

thermore, in the Chriftian fyftem, many things are contained which we know to be true, either intuitively or by deduction fhort and plain; and we clearly perceive the connection between thefe, and the other branches of the fcheme, not equally obvious in themselves, or admitting proof by fo fhort a deduction.

From the preceding investigation, it appears that the whole fyftem refts on a few primary truths, either intuitively evident, or by fhort and eafy deduction.

Thus, if we admit our moft common mental perceptions, we know there is an important difference between pleasure and pain; the first is the object of defire and the latter of averfion. That percipient beings fhould be happy and that the greatest fum of happinefs fhould exift, is defirable, rather than that a small degree of happiness in an individual, fhould take place at the expenfe of the greater happinefs of many; and finally, that union to the beft and greateft felicity of percipient exiftence is the perfection of a rational mind; and the oppofite to this, the depravity of fuch a mind. Thefe truths are fo obvious as not to be queftioned.

By this rule therefore, every character and every scheme of religion and morality may be fairly tried. Is it friendly to intelligent happiness on the whole, and in the final iffue?

The fyftem of truth which has been ftated will bear this teft. Its final object is the highest rational felicity to the moral fyftem; the mean to effect it is the union of rational minds, or general benev olence. We have feen the feveral parts of the Chriftian revelation to meet and unite in this; and all the great events in the mo LI

ral fyftem ultimately rendered fub- | it; the agreement of the parts with fervient to it. The mediatorial each other and with the whole, fyftem is the great work of God and the perfection of the whole, for its accomplishment. With impress the serious and contempla this in view, we fee each branch tive mind, with the fulleft conof divine truth connected with viction of the truth and divinity others, and all forming a perfect of the system, its adaptedness to and confiftent whole, in a connec- its end, and the existence and pertion of the parts which is indif- fection of its divine author.foluble. "The heavens, indeed, declare his glory and the firmament his handy work; day unto day uttereth fpeech, and night unto night fheweth knowledge of God.". But the Chriftian system exhibits his character and perfection with ftill greater certainty and clearnefs. How fadly debased by vain philofophy, and the pride of science, falfely fo called, is the mind which, with this divine fystem before it, can be blind to its truth and beauty, and to the exiftence and perfection of its divine author.

2. The truth and divinity of Christianity are evident from its final object, and the means employed to obtain it.

The Christian fyftem may be compared to a great chain defcending from heaven, confifting of numerous links, all connected with each other and with the whole; or, to vary the fimilitude, to a magnificent edifice, which though neceffarily complex, is ftill compofed of the beft materials, and built by an accomplished architect. The attentive fpectator, in contemplating the building, is impreffed with a view of the excellence of the materials, and with the exact conftruction and the exquifite manner in which they are connected, the fuitablenefs of each part to the place it fills, and to the beauty, ftrength and perfection of the whole. He admires the harmony and proportion of the parts with each other, and with the whole. But he most of all, contemplates with delight, the adaptedness of the building for utility, to the object for which it was erected, efpecially if this object be important. In viewing the edifice he will be led to profound admiration of the builder and admire the wifdom, tafte and forethought which projected it, and feel the fame con-other, in conformity to the triune viction of the ability of the architect, as of the existence and workmanfhip of the edifice.

Comparing great things with fmall, we may fay, the Chriftian fyftem is like this building. The excellence of each part, and its fuitablenefs to the place and end affigned

The final object is the higheft perfection of the moral fyftem, in the bleffed union and communion of all holy beings.

The adorable trinity in unity, in the ever bleffed God, is the fource and pattern of all union and communion in holy intelligences. The final defign of the mediatorial fyftem, and of all fubordinate divine operations, is to bring all holy angels and faints into the nearest union to God and each

Deity. This is effected by a participation, adequate to the nature and capacity of each, in the Holy Ghoft, with each other, and with the Father and the Son.

The fcripture doctrine clearly imports that the Holy Spirit is given to all the children of God.

to abide in them forever. By this they have joint participation in the fame good; in this alfo, they have fellowship with the Father and the Son, as has been stated. Our bleffed Lord taught this doctrine to Nicodemus when he faid, "Except a man be born again-of the Spirit-he cannot fee the kingdom of God." Again, "If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more fhall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spirit to thofe who afk him?"

From these and many other fcripture declarations it appears, that the Holy Spirit is the great fummary of the good beftowed on the redeemed, and that he abides with them as a principle of divine life, action and enjoyment. This indwelling spirit produceth in the heart, love to God, to Christ and to each other, and thus unites all its fubjects to the king dom of God, and effects in them a joint participation of fpiritual good; efpecially, communion with God, and each other, agreebly to the following apoftolic declaration, "That which we have feen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his fon Jefus Chrift." Of the fame import is the apoftolic benediction, "The grace of our Lord Jefus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghoft be with you all."

The two following fcriptural paffages ftrongly exprefs the union of all the redeemed to each other and to God, through this joint participation of the Holy Ghoft: "That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me and I in thee, that they alfo may be

one in us." Again in a discourse on the final defign of the mediatorial work of Christ : « That in the difpenfation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Chrift, both which are in heaven and which are on earth." All who are acquainted with the holy fcriptures know that they abound with paffages of like import, and abundantly prove, that the great end of the Chriftian system is to effect this happifying union and communion, between all holy intelligent beings, through the Holy Spirit, in conformity to the blessed union and communion in the triune Deity: And that this is effected through the mediatorial work of Christ, applied by the agency of the Holy Spirit, by whom all the redeemed are united in the love of God and each other, and prepared for the most perfect and lasting felicity in the kingdom of God. Thus conftituting a glorious church, in which the divine good pleasure fhall forever reft.

That difpofition of the moral fyftem which ultimately effects its highest perfection, by the best means, must be fupremely good, and its author must be divine. But fuch is the difpofition of it in the mediatorial plan, and fuch will be its final iffue. The mediatorial plan muft therefore be divine, and the revelation containing it muft have defcended from heaven.

3. This fubject teaches us, why a life of practical obedience to thedivine commands, is the best and crowning evidence of the genuinenefs of our religion, and that we fhall be finally faved.

This is frequently mentioned in the fcriptures in this view, as that, without which it cannot appear that we are the difciples of Chrift, that we live in obedience

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