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entirely gone for ever, might | tion, to suffer the second death,

is not a benefit flowing to them from his redemption, nor to them an object of desire and hope, but, rather, of dread and horror.

perhaps obtain the name of death, in part at least, because it is the most striking and effecting emblem and figure, of any thing actually seen here, of the complete everlasting, separation Q. I thank you for the pains of the whole man from all good to you have taken to explain your all evil, under sensible express-ideas; but must take some time ions of divine wrath, in which to consider and weigh what you consists that eternal death which have stated, before I express an is the wages of sin. opinion on the subject of this Q. Is not Christ vested with conference. And as it is probthe high authority and honor and able, that I shall not have anothpowers of the supreme and finaler interview with you very soon, Judge of the quick and the dead, if ever; in case there shall ap and will he not exercise and dis-pear to me to be any serious play the same, in raising the and really weighty objections to dead and passing and executing your sentiments, possibly I may the final sentence, in regard to communicate them in a letter. both the righteous and the wicked as a reward of his obedience and sufferings for the redemption and salvation of sinful men?

R. I readily admit that this is the case. Yet whilst true believers, who have done good, come forth to the resurrection of life, as a blessed and glorious privilege procured for them by his mediation, and to be enjoyed by them as a fruit of his redemption; the wicked will, by his almighty power, be raised up, and come forth to the resurrection of damnation. And although Christ, by what he hath done in his mediatorial character, hath obtained for himself, to be exer

R. If my sentiments are not according to truth, I wish they may be corrected, and become agreeable to it. And therefore, if to you, or to others, it shall appear, that the leading ideas which I have expressed, are liaable to serious and really weighty objections; I would willingly see them clearly stated, and hope I may be able to consider and examine them with candor, and an honest desire to know the truth.

Q. and R.

DIALOGUE.

cised in his incarnate person, On the import of 2 Cor. xii. 18. the distinguished privilege and

high prerogative, not only, of Q. SIR, I find some difficulty raising and rewarding his saints; in reconciling Paul's but also, of raising the wicked observation to the Crointhians, dead, and passing and executing that, being crafty, he caught the sentence of final condemna- them with guile, with Peter's extion upon them; and in this hortation, to lay aside all guile; sense, his raising them is a fruit and with Paul's own words in anof his medration, and an honor other part of his same epistle, and matter of joy to his church; where, speaking of the manner yet to the wicked their resurrec-in which he and his fellow-laVOL. VI. NO. 4.

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mentioned in the preceding chapter, who labor to destroy my character and influence among you, say or suggest, that, being a designing crafty man, I artfully obtained consid

borers officiated in the gospel ministry, he said, "We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in crafiiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but, by manifestation of the truth, commend-erable sums from you through ing ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." With this account, his declaration, that, being crafty, he caught them with guile, seems to be inconsistent; as well as with the words of the apostle Peter.

the agency of others, whom I employed for that purpose.But was this the case? Did I make a gain-did I obtain any thing of you, by those whom I sent among you? I did not.I desired Titus to visit you, and sent another brother and fellow laborer with him. Did Titus make a gain of you, by persuading you to contribute any thing in return for his services, either for his own use, or for mine? Did not he, and I, and the other brother, manifest the same spirit and express the same disinterest

R. Had Paul meant to tell the Corinthians, that he, being crafty, had in fact caught them with guile, I do not see how his words could be well reconciled with the other passages you have mentioned. But I conceive Paul did not mean to assert any such thing. Q. Did not mean to asserted regard for your best good, and any such thing!-But his declaration was express. He said in so many words, "Being crafty, I caught you with guile." 2. Cor. xii. 16.

pursue one and the same course, in ministering to you freelygratuitously-without exacting or taking any pecuniary reward? You know that this was the case. And therefore the suggestion of those deceitful workers and false apostles, that, being crafty, I caught you with guile, is unfounded and false. That such is the general import of the passage, will, I think, appear

R. Though Paul wrote these words; yet they are not to be viewed as a declaration of what he actually did; but of what his enemies falsely suggested concerning him. The 16th, 17th, and 18th verses run thus: "But be it so. I did not bur-clear and indisputable, bya careful den you nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother: did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps ?"-As if the apostle had said, Though it be true, that I did not burden you with the expense of my support, when I preached the gospel to you; yet the false apostles,

attention to its scope, and connection with the preceding context, and with the things contained in the eleventh chapter of this epistle, and in the ninth chapter of his first epistle to the same church.

Q. Sir, If your explanation exhibits the true meaning of the page, as I am rather inclined to believe it does, I think the advocates for pious frauds, can derive no support from this example of Paul.

R. If any cite this passage as furnishing an example to countenance guileful practices, or any deceitful artifices, in regard to the things of religion, I think, they pervert the words from their true to a very opposite meaning,

Q. Well, I am more and more convinced, that when we read the scriptures, we ought to pay particular attention to the scope and connection of the several passages, to the subject of which they treat, to the object or design of the speaker, &c. Otherwise we may be exposed to take in false ideas from the mere sound of words, or from a particular sentence or proposition, which, if it stood singly and alone, would convey a very different idea from what it does, when viewed in the connection | in which it stands, and with reference to the manifest design of the speaker.

place where they are found,→ lest he be led or take a liberty, from the mere sound of words, to preach doctrine contained neither in that particular text, nor in any other passage of the sacred volume.

From the Christian Observer.

Counterpart to the remarks on

Ministerial Faithfulness, drawn from the example of John the Baptist.

[Concluded from p. 108.]

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you with some Remarks on a former paper I troubled the nature of Ministerial Faithfulness, drawn from the example of John the Baptist, and I promised to add a few observations applicable to the case of hearers.

R. Your remark is very just. We repair to Church, let it -By detaching particular prop-be supposed, expecting to be enositions found in the scriptures, tertained by an oratorical sermon, from the passages in which they or wishing to hear some docare used, and applying them in trinal point satisfactorily stated the sense which they would and discussed; but the preachmost aaturally suggest, if they er disappoints us by a plain and stood singly and alone, we might pointed censure of some parti, make sad work with the Bible, cular vice. Now may not this and both prove and disprove be a vice to which we are subthe same things, the grossest ject? May not the very disapfalsehoods, as well as the most pointment which we feel be an certain truths. Therefore, when indication of our resting too a preacher takes, for his text, much in general truths? Like some particular proposition, or the hearers of John the Baptist, sentence, or part of a sentence, be- we love to be instructed on any cause the words, taken by them- subject rather than that of our selves, suggest an idea, or seem own individual faults, and like to favor a sentiment, which he them we are displeased with the may wish to inculcate, preacher because he fails to satisfy our curiosity, to confirm our prejudices, to amuse our fancy, and to gratify our taste. Many persons seem to imagine that a

comes him to examine very carefully into their true meaning and import, in their proper connection, and as used in the

disposition merely to attend the pented of, or of his present pur. preaching of the gospel, is a suf- poses to be changed; what are ficient evidence of a religious the sins of his particular age, state. They do not consider that temperament, and circumstan the motives which produce the ces; what are the temptations crowded congregations of mod- against which he has studiously ern times, may be no better than to guard; what the affections those which led one multitude to which he must specially control; follow John the Baptist into the what the lusts which it is his duwilderness, and another multi-ty to renounce? Have you ears tude to gather round our Saviour to hear on these topics? Have when he preached his sermon you a heart to bow under this on the mount, "Bring forth," species of reproof? If you have said John, "fruits meet for re- not, however sound may be the pentance."-" Not every one doctrines which you profess, you that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, are not sound in your heart. You (said our Saviour) shall enter in- would have been offended with to the kingdom of heaven, but he John the Baptist, if you had been that doeth the will of my Father one of the multitude which went which is in heaven." Novelty to hear him; for he would have of every kind is almost sure to warned you of that very fault of entertain. The fame of a new which you cannot bear to be adpreacher of repentance drew sol- monished. Are you a proud diers and publicans, as well as person? He would have exhortpharisees, into the desert, and ed you to beware of that sin of He" to whom the spirit was pride with which you are pos given without measure," He who sessed. Are you luxurious and was pre-eminently "holy, harm-intemperate? Put away, he would less, and undefiled," was eagerly followed by many of the profane, and was welcomed with general hosannahs as he entered into Jerusalem; a city distinguished for shedding the blood of the prophets, and now about to fill up the measure of its guilt,

have cried, that sloth and self-indulgence: rise early be temperate in all things. Are you expensive and ostentatious? Reduce, he would have said, that splendor in your equipage, and that unbecoming finery in your dress. Are you violent in your temper? Lay aside, he would have said, these sinful passions. "Keep thy tongue as with a bridle."" He that answereth a

I am persuaded, Mr. Editor, that in our days evangelical doc. trines seldom fail to be approv ed by us, provided they are stated in general terms, and are al-matter before he heareth it, it is so countenanced by the circle or family in which we dwell. But how do we bear to be reminded of our own besetting sins? John the Baptist tried his hearers by this test. Reader, are you one who desires to know what is amiss in his temper, conversation, and conduct; what part of his past actions needs to be re

folly and shame unto him.” Are you peevish and discontented, and, though blest with much prosperity, apt to complain of some little circumstance in your lot. Fret not, he would have said, because a servant has disobeyed you; because a friend seems to have neglected you; because some one has spread a

story to your prejudide; Grieve | monition of our fellow-creatures

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not because taxes are high; because additional economy must be practised; because the number of your superfluities must be a little retrenched and if you should then complain of the deficiency of his preaching, he would have refused to address you in any other strain than this. Again are you overcome by temptations? Pluck out, he would have said, this right eye cut off this right hand: part with this Herodias, this forbiden indulgence. In vain do you "do many things" while this one thing is retained.

another? And may we not, therefore, reasonably suspect our very prayers to God of being hypocritical, if we are manifestly unwilling to take any other mode of correcting our faults? As a philosopher, who is intent on some important discovery, feels indebted to those who will point out a mistake into which he may have fallen, and will in any measure direct him in his future course, so the Christian, whose great object is to detect the past errors of his heart, and to advance in the way of eternal life, will not fail to welcome faithful reproof.

To conclude, That which John the Baptist did at the hazard of his very life, let Christians encourage both their ministers and private friends unreservedly to do, by shewing that it may be done without exciting the least offence. "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." "Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and shalt not suffer sin in him." "Exhort one another daily, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitful

S. P.

Here again I would remark, that I would by no means be thought to undervalue the peculiar doctrines of the gospel. These unquestionably are of infinite importance, and ought often to be urged with earnestness and force. Be assured, however, that if you are of that temper which forbids your hearing patiently of your faults small as well as great if you repel all those who are disposed to touch on subjects of this sort, you then are no real disciple of Christ; for the same spirit which is necessary to the humble accept-ness of sin." ance of the gospel will incline you to submit no less readily to reproof. Can any man, for example be really trusting in Christ, who is not convinced of his sin; or can any man be truly convinced of his sin in general, who will not bear to hear of any one particular fault? How indeed can he, who brooks no admonition, be said even to pray in sincerity and truth; for is it not the object of prayer to ob-tertainment to many of your reatain spiritual improvement? Is ders, I now send you some furnot prayer one of the means of ther anecdotes respecting him. edification, and is not the ad

From the Christian Observer.

You

OU have complied with my wishes, by publishing the account of my visit to Theophilus. In the persuasion that every important occurrence in the life of such a character, cannot fail to afford instruction and en

Let me first, however, pres

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