its doctrines and duties. But, it , Christ or any of his words? Why is impossible for a man of enlight- should he keep back anything that ened and discerning mind, who is is profitable, or shun to declare all acquainted with the Gospel, to de- the counsel of God? Because men spise it. Those must be weak in of corrupt minds hate the truth, intellect, contracted in their views, or men of mean minds despise it, and grovelling in their conceptions, shall the ambassadors of Christ forwho can despise such a rational bear to testify the Gospel of the and sublime system of doctrines, grace of God? Let them, rather, and such a pure and cogent sys- with all boldness speak the word tem of morals, as are comprised in of the Lord; whether men will the glorious Gospel of the blessed hear, or whether they will forGod. bear. 5. We may infer, from what has 7. We may infer from what has been said, that those are under a been said, that professed Christians great mistake, who consider the need not be ashamed to practise study of Divinity, i. e. the study any of the duties enjoined in the of the Gospel, as beneath men of Gospel. There is no more reason great minds, and fit only for stu- to be ashamed of the precepts, than dents of the most moderate abili of the doctrines of Christ. The ties. Of all sciences, that of Di-duties enjoined in the Gospel, all vinity is, at once, the most sublime, naturally flow from that pure, disthe inost profound, and the most interested love, which fulfils the comprehensive. It treats of spir- Law, and is the essence of all moritual and heavenly things, and re- al virtue, beauty and excellence. veals the deep things of God, and in To practise these duties, is to be its largest extent, comprehends the like Christ, and to walk in the whole encyclopedia of knowledge. steps of the excellent of the earth. The study of Divinity demands the Why, then, should the professed brightest parts, the strongest pow followers of Christ, be ashamed to ers, and the most capacious minds. pray, or to forgive injuries, or to The Angels desire to look into confess their faults, or to admonthese things ;' and here they may ish an offending brother? What a look, and study, and pry forever, pity it is, that while so many 'gloand still see more and more to ad- ry in their shame,' professing mire, and love, and praise. Christians should be ashamed of 6. Is there no to be their glory! ashamed of the Gospel? Then 8. We may learn from this subministers need not be ashamed to ject, why so many, at this day, are preach any of its doctrines, or to ashamed of the Gospel. It is not inculcate any of its duties. The because the Gospel comprises anyGospel is not composed of hetero- thing unreasonable or dishonourageneous materials, some true and ble; but because, like their ancient good, and others false and evil. predecessors, they love the praise It is all of a piece. Its doctrines of men, more than the praise of are all rational and consistent; its God, and value their reputation precepts are all pure and good. among mean or wicked fellowThe whole system is glorious to creatures, more than the glory of God, and savingly beneficial to God and the eternal welfare of im Why, then, should a min- , mortal souls. ister be more ashamed to preach In view of this subject, let Saints one doctrine, than another Why be exhorted to glory in the Gospel. should a minister be ashamed of They have no reason to glory iv reason men. а anything else; but in that, they God. And, while you continue may glory, without vanity or pride. to be ashamed of the Gospel, you It is divinely true; it is according are actuated by a low and selfish to godliness. Hold it fast, my regard to the honour which cometh Brethren, and contend earnestly from men. For such baseness, for it. Whoever may reject or de- you have reason to loathe yourspise it, never be ashamed of the selves. But however you may apglorious Gospel of grace, which you pear in your own eyes, you cerhave found, by happy experience, tainly appear mean and odious in to be the power of God and the the eyes of Christ; and remaining wisdom of God for salvation. as you are, He will, hereafter, be Let sinners, who are ashamed of ashamed of you: for He has said, the Gospel, be ashamed of them- 66 Whoever shall be ashamed of selves. If you disbelieve the Gos- me and of my words, of him shall pel, you act beneath your rational the son of man be ashamed, when nature. If you hate the Gospel, he shall come in his own glory, it is because you are lovers of and in his Father's, and of the hopleasure, rather than lovers of ly angels." Amen. FOR TRE HOPKINSIAS MAGAZINE. you meant the work, to which it is applied. You might, with truth and proprieMR. EDITOR, ty, have used the term EvangelicI like the title prefixed to your al: but this would have been no inwork, for three reasons, to men- dex to the course which tion no more: to pursue. This term is claimed First. Because it is unequivocal. and used, by writers of every grade Other appellations, which have be- of sentiment, from the strictest come popular and honourable, are Calvinism, down to the most lax claimed by various sects of Chris- Unitarianism. tians, and are applied to very dif- Thirdly. I like your title, beferent systems of doctrine. The cause I believe, that the system, appellation Calvinistick, for in. which it denotes, is the only scripstance, though originally designed tural and rational system: and I to designate the sentiments of the view it as very desirable, that there great Reformer, John CALVIN, of should be, at least, one periodical Geneva, is, at present, applied to publication, in which that system sentiments as different from his, may be freely stated, explained as from those of Arminius. But and vindicated, for the edification this ambiguity is not yet, to any of saints and the conviction of sinconsiderable extent, attendant on ners. the epithet Hopkinsian. As few Since such is your title, I conmake use of this appellation, with clude it will comport with your a view to acquire reputation and views, to admit the following Espopularity by it; so it is appropri-says, should you receive nothing ated by few, who do not embrace better on the subject. the same system of religious senti A HOPKINSIAN. ments. Secondly. I like the title which ESSAYS UPON HOPKINSIANISM. you have selected, because it is ex No. 1. plicit. It leaves no one in doubt, It is proposed in these Essays, as to the character and design of ) to enquire how the epithet, Hop kinsian, came to be applied to a | ily. It was, perhaps, in a good certain system of evangelical senti- measure, owing to his seclusion ments, and to a certain class of from the influence of bad example, orthodox divincs—to vindicate the that, in his youth, he was not propriety and utility of the appel-volatile and wild, or guilty of exlation-to draw the outlines of that ternal irregularities, such as disosystem of doctrinal, experimental bedience to parents, profanation and practical religion, properly de- of the Sabbath, lying, foolish jestnominated Hopkinsian-to obviate ing, quarrelling, passion and anger, some of the principal objections or rash and profane words;' but against it-to illustrate the practi- was of a sober and steady make, cal tendency of it-to show how and disposed to diligence and extensively this system has been faithfulness. received-by whom, and how, it Being designed, by his father, has been defended and opposed for a learned profession, he was to investigate the causes of its de- fitted for College, under the tuicline, in certain places--and, fin- | tion of Rev. John Graham, of Waally, to suggest the reasons there i terbury, and entered at Yale, in may be, to expect that this system New-Haven, at the Commencewill spread and prevail, until it ment in September, 1737, when become universal." he was just sixteen years old. In As it is well known, that the college, he was distinguished for term, Hopkinsian, is derived from sobriety, and close application to the Rev. Samuel Hopkins, D. D. study. When he had been a memit is thought not improper, to pre-ber of college two or three years, face the following Essays, with a so good was his moral conduct, brief account of that eminent ser- and so high the esteem in which vant of Christ, whose praise is others held him, that though he still in the churches. had seldom been even thoughtful on religious subjects; yet he vainSKETCH OF THE LIFE OF DR. ly imagined himself to be a ChrisHOPKINS. tian, and offered himself and was The Rev. SAMUEL Hopkins, D. received as a member of the church D. was born in the town of Water- in his native town. At this time, bury, Connecticut, on Lord's day, he was "constant in reading the September 17th, 1721. His Pa- Bible, and in attending on public rents were professors of religion, and secret religion.". And someand gave evidence of piety. His times, at night, in his retirement Ancestors, both by his father's and devotion, he writes, “ When and Mother's side, as far back as I thought of confessing the sins I he was able to trace them, were had been guilty of that day, and professed Christians. They were asking pardon, I could not recolsupposed to be descended from the lect that I had committed one!" Puritans, in the reign of Queen At this period, though in theory Elizabeth. and speculation, he was CalvinistSuch was the prevalence of relig. ick; yet, in heart and practice, he ion and good morals, in the place was an Arminian; as all men are of the Doctor's nativity, that he by nature. It was not until his did not recollect hearing a profane last year at college, when a great word from the children and youth, revival of religion took place with whom he associated, during among the students, under the the first fifteen years of his life, preaching of the Rev. Gilbert which he spentin his Father's fam- TENNANT that he was convinced a of his hypocrisy and entire deprav- vice of a Council, dismissed, Janity of heart, and, at length, became, uary 18th, 1769. It was during as he hoped, through Divine Grace, this period, that the rich treasure a new creature. He was sensible, of President Edward's manuscripts, at the time, of a great change in consisting of many large volumes, his feelings and affections; but did besides sermons, fell into his not indulge a hope, that he had ex- hands, which he spent much time perienced a saving conversion, in perusing, commonly rising at 4 until about a year after, when he o'clock, to pursue his studies. had received his degree, and com- After his dismission, he supplied menced the study of Divinity with various pulpits, until on April 11th, that great and good man, the Rev. 1770, he was installed Pastor of Joxan Edwards, of Northampton. the First Congregational Church in In the year 1742, Dr. Hopkins Newport (R. I.) Here he remainobtained license to preach the gos-ed, with some interruption, during pel: and on the 28th of December, the revolutionary war, until the 1743, he was ordained pastor of 20th of December, 1803, when he the church in Great-Barrington, departed this life, in the eighty(Mass.) then called Housatonock. third year of his age. 66 With Here he laboured with much dili- long life will I satisfy him, and gence and faithfulness, for twenty- show him my salvation.” Psalm five years; when, for the want of a xci. 16. “ The righteous shall be sufficient maintenance for his nu- in everlasting remembrance.”merous family, he was, by the ad- Psalm cxii. 6. 1 On Revivals of Religion. ture history, which, though not ex- pressly called by this name, are The subject of revivals of relig. considered by many as evident jou is of deep interest. Its own prototypes of modern revivals ; intrinsic importance, the frequent and not to insist upon the great accurrence of revivals at the pres- and distinguished revivals of religent day, the variety of opinions ion which took place in the days entertained respecting them, the of Martin Luther, John Calvin, different methods resorted to for and their associates, which issued promoting them, and the different in the firm establishment of the judgments formed respecting their reformed churches, and a vast inresults, all conspire to render the crease of Gospel light in the world, subject worthy of our regard. Re- Robert Fleming, in his “ Fulfilling vivals are not matters of new oc- of the Scriptures,” gives us an accurrence in the Church of God.- count of some revivals which took They have been known in former place in Scotland and Ireland, in ages. Yet it must be confessed, the years 1625, 1628, and 1630, that they are much more frequent which were like those of our own at the present day, than at any day. In 1734, a great revival former period. This circumstance took place in Northampton, under has led some to consider them as the ministry of President Edwards, novelties, and that of a very doubt- of which he gives a particular acful, if not of a pernicious charac-count in his writings. And in ter. several succeeding years, this work Not to insist upon instances spread through a great part of which are recorded in the Scrip- / New-England, under the preaching of Whitfield, Tennant, and it, which are often asked, at the others. From the account which present day, with great solicitude, President Edwards gives of this by the friends of religion. He has work, compared with the accounts no doubt that the subject will be we have of revivals in our own deemed to merita serious and careday, we discover a very great re ful investigation. There are many semblance. The work, in hat points involved in it, on which he day, had its friends and its oppos-does not profess to be qualified to ers, and so it is with revivals now. decide. But he hopes that the It was accompanied by some irreg- discussion will call the attention of ularities and extravagancies, which others to the subject, who can and needed to be discountenanced and will throw light upon it. If the corrected, and so are some of the revivals of which we so frequently revivals of the present day. It hear, are indeed genuine revivals rious work with the genuine, and church great reason to rejoice, and so there is reason to fear it is with to give devout and humble thanks to some modern revivals. Those who Almighty God. But if they are not favoured the work then were un- so, they are great and dangerous reasonably blamed, in many in- delusions, which furnish occasion stances, and so it is now. Many for the deepest mourning and huof its real friends were then, by miliation. In either case, the subsome, accounted as its enemies, ject is one of immense importance, and so it may be at this day. Some and deserves our most serious and of its professed friends were then prayerful consideration. chargeable with faults, in the Some of the topics, which the means by which they attempted to writer proposes to discuss, in fupromote it, and so it may be now. ture numbers, are what is a reThere is a great resemblance, also, vival of religion ; what are its usin the effects produced upon dif- ual accompanyments; how is a ferent persons, by that work, and genuine revival distinguished from by modern revivals, and great re- a spurious one ; what things ought semblance in the causes of their to be done to promote a revival of progress and decline. An exam- religion ; what things ought to be ination of the history of former re- guarded against, as having a tenvivals, and a careful comparison of dency to prevent a revival, or to them with moderd ones, and of hinder its progress, or to render both with the word of God, would it spurious, or to stop the work ; greatly assist us in forming a cor- how far is it in the power of rect judgment on this subject. church to have a revival when they The writer of this proposes to please, &c. consider the subject, in a series of A FRIEND TO REVIVALS. essays, in which he will discuss a Christian Repository. variety of questions connected with a a ON THE PREVALENCE OF SOCIXLAXISM. ought to be known, because it is The introduction and spread of ground of alarm. It ought to be Socinianism in a portion of New known, that efficient measures may England, is a fact that can no lon- be adopted to prevent its further ger be concealed. And it is a fact progress. I regard Socinianism that ought to be known in every as nothing but Deism in disguise. part of the American church. It | It assumes the name of Christian а |
