come to me; hear, and your soul shall live." Isaiah Iv. 2, 3. Again, "Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein." Rev. i. 3. "Moreover, we have more sure the prophetic word, to which you do well to take heed, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts; for the holy men of God, spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2d Pet.

graciously pardon. Hence praise and prayer become the christian's delightful exercise, because he realizes the greatness of the privilege; not only of being thus permitted to address the glorious fountain of being and blessedness without servile fear, in confidence of being always graciously heard and accepted; but more especially because it gives vent to the grateful and dutiful feelings of his heart, both toward God and man, and always increases them; and thus constantly furnishes him with the happy oppor-i. 19-21. "This second epistle, beloved, I now tunity of growing in every grace, of subduing every vice, and of promoting and strengthening every virtue; also, of alleviating every woe, of mitigating every affliction. In a word, of bringing down upon himself all the blessings of Heaven that can be enjoyed upon earth-as well as of doing much good, both spiritual and temporal to others. Where is the genuine bibletaught christian, then, that does not delight to So much for the three primary, comprehensive abound in the exercise of praise and prayer-to and all-important ordinances of the christian reliembrace and improve every favorable opportu-gion; the particular and individual observance of nity for those goodly purposes.

write to you, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Saviour." 2d Pet. iii. 1, 2. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope." Rom. xv. 4.

which, constitute the religion of every real christian. Here let us pause a little, reflect, and compare these ordinances, in their proper and primitive import, order and connexion, as above deduced from the holy scriptures, and contrast them with the present views and practice-with the dull, listless, formal, ceremonious-nay, even superstitious and absurd formalities, which have almost every where, taken place of these.

But that this may be the case, the next immediate ordinance of the christian religion, namely, the reading, I mean the musing upon, or studying the Holy Scriptures; taking them up in their connexion, and meditating upon the subjects they propose to our consideration, with a fixed contemplation of the various and important objects which they present. This dutiful and religious use of the bible, (that most precious, What is the sprinkling of a few drops of water sacred record of the wonderful works of God, the upon the face of a thoughtless, unconscious inonly authentic source of all religious informa- fant, when contrasted with the all-important sigtion,) is inseparably connected with, and indis-nificancy, and blissful effects of that first great pensably necessary to, the blissful and all-ordinance of christian worship-that first constiimportant exercises of prayer and praise. With-tutional act of the obedience of faith. Courteous out this, those exercises must dwindle away to a reader, do but reflect, compare, and consider. trite form-must degenerate into a lifeless Laying aside all popular prejudice, say which formality. It is from this dutiful and re- you would choose the joyous, blissful baptism ligious use of the divine word, that we derive of the Ethiopian eunuch, or the unauthorized the proper materials for those holy exercises.sprinkling of a poor unconscious babe; never to Hence says the Apostle, "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do (of a religious nature) in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Col. iii. 16, 17. And again," Be you filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always to God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," Eph. v. 18—20. Hence it is evident, that if we would be spiritually minded, spiritually exercised in this delightful and heavenly employment, we must be filled with the Spirit; and if we would be filled with the Spirit, we must be filled with the word; the word of Christ must dwell in us richly; for we have no access to the Spirit but in and by the word. Therefore, "he that has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." To take up the Word, then, in this manner, that we may thus come to God by it, learn his glorious character, be taught by him, enjoy the blissful communications of his Spirit, be made wise to salvation, thoroughly furnished to all good works, is to make the proper and religious use of it; is to worship God by it; and to enrich our souls with all spiritual and heavenly blessings that can be enjoyed in this life. Thus says the Lord, "Hearken diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear and

be so much as remembered; and, in consequence of which, it is never after allowed to enjoy this blissful privilege; for which, through the grace of God, it might be duly qualified in due time. Again, consider the principle upon which this baptism is to be enjoyed; the inward preparation essential to its profitable reception, and then say what a sorry substitute is even the scriptural administration of this ordinance, (I mean as to the external form of it,) for the most part, in our day, when, instead of the demand of a good conscience towards God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, in consequence of correct views of the gospel, rightly taught, understood, and believed; the demand is concerning inward impressions, exercises, and feelings; predicated upon some peculiar inward work of the Spirit, in order to ascertain the regeneration of the subject; which, if approved, the person is then admitted to baptism; not, indeed, as the first instituted act of christian worship; as a divine appointment, declarative of the justification, adoption, and entire sanctification of the believing worshipper; but merely as an act of obedience to a positive command, and in imitation of Jesus Christ; having, thus, no farther tendency to produce a good conscience, than merely the pleasing sense of having performed a duty-of having obeyed a divine command. Thus this great gospel ordinance is sunk to the dead level of a mere moral duty; an ordinance great indeed in its import, and corresponding privilege, to the intelligent, believing worshipper; who, in the faith of its declarative and real import, receives it; and therein, and thereby, yields and presents himself, soul and body, a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. See Romans, 6th chapter, upon the doctrine of baptism, with the consequent exhortations tendered thereon, chapter xii. 1-&c.

there remains for them no farther hope, no other sacrifice to be hereafter offered for sins: so they must either receive and enjoy pardon through faith in his blood, or live and die with a guilty But herein is that old saying verified, "There conscience. Alas! for the present corruptions of shall be like people, like priest." "For the leaders christianity! Alas! alas! for its corruptors! Thus of this people cause them to err, and destroy the says the Lord of Hosts, Hearken not to the way of their paths." Therefore "have they words of the prophets that prophesy to you: they turned away their ears from the truth, and are make you vain. They speak a vision of their turned unto fables;" for "they have heaped to own heart, not out of the mouth of the Lord. themselves teachers, having itching ears." A- They say still to them that despise me, The Lord gain, to what a lifeless formality-nay, even dis- has said you shall have peace: and they say to gusting drudgery, is that next immediate and de- every one that walks after the imagination of his lightful ordinance, prayer, reduced under the own heart, No evil shall come to you. For who present corruptions of christianity! Formerly it has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and has was from the altar to the laver, from the laver in-perceived and heard his word? Who has markto the holy place. Ex. xl. 30. Jesus being bap-ed his word and heard it?—I have not sent these tized, and praying, the heavens were opened to prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to him; and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily them, yet they prophesied. But if they had shape, like a dove, upon him. Compare Matthew stood in my counsel, and caused my people to iii. 16. with Luke iii. 21. &c. Paul, also, having hear my words, then they should have turned washed away his sins, calls upon the name of the them from their evil way, and from the evil of Lord, (Acts xxii. 16.) and so of all the rest. The their doings. Therefore, behold I am against uniform doctrine was, First, believe the gospel- the prophets, says the Lord, that steal my words next be baptized-and then pray. Look back, every one from his neighbor. Behold I am courteous reader, to the doctrinal exhibition of against the prophets, says the Lord, that use their this article, and you will not only see the propri- tongues, and say, He says. Behold I am against ety, but also the indispensable necessity of this them that prophesy false dreams, says the Lord, order of proceeding, God having so ordered his and do tell them, and cause my people to err by worship; and, in this order and connexion, made their lies, and by their lightness. The prophet ample provision for the comfortable and profita- that has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he ble access of his people. But how is it now? that has my word, let him speak my word faithSome are taught forms of prayer from their in- fully; what is the chaff to the wheat? says the fancy; others are taught to pray by set forms all Lord. Is not my word like as a fire, says the their days. Prayer, or rather saying of prayers, Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock is taught and considered by many merely as a in pieces? Jer. xxiii. 16-32. In consequence duty, the neglect of which brings guilt upon their of such teaching as this, how is the third great conscience; and the performance, no other com- and fundamental ordinance of our holy religion, fort but merely a sense of having done their duty. the religious use of the Divine Word, obscured Men are indiscriminately urged to pray, as a and perverted. With what uninteresting formeans of salvation, that they may escape hell, mality, and coldrife indifference, do many read without any immediate respect either to the altarit; even of those who place some part of their or the laver. Hence the great majority pray in their sins all their days, and, for aught that appears, die so. Do you not hear those men-taught, formal people, confessing always, from day to day, the same sins; the sins of their nature and practice; of omission and commission; of thought, word and deed; of childhood and youth, &c. or under whatever terms they are accustomed to make their confessions; withal, praying continually for pardon of the same sins: thus daily confessing their unbelief, their unpardoned, guilty condition. Not so the apostolic christians. These primitive worshippers, once purged, had no more conscience of sins. Heb. x. 3. For Jesus, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate, (xiii. 12.) and by one offering perfected forever them that are sanctified. (x. 14.) Whereas the ancient sacrifices could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience, (ix. 9.) for in those sacrifices there was a remembrance again made of sins every year, (x. 3.) Hence those poor, men-taught, formal people, are in a much worse state than the ancient Jews, whose sacrifices, &c. being a shadow of good things to come, though they could not perfect them as pertaining to the conscience, yet afforded them some relief against despondency, in hope of the good things that were to come: but now the good things prefigured being come, and, after all, those formal worshippers not being perfected, not being purged from the guilt of dead works, to serve the living God with a true heart, in full assurance of the How transcendently kind and excellent is the faith of the remission of their sins, through the work of the Holy Spirit in glorifying Christ, in offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once-advocating his cause, and in affording to men

religious worship in daily reading a portion of Holy Scripture, as if the mere reading of it were to save them. Under what a cloud of errors and prejudices are the generality introduced to this sacred book! Some calling it a sealed book; others, a book hard to be understood, nay, almost unintelligible, except to the learned or inspired; and others again, a dead letter. The great majority of our modern teachers, like the false prophets of old, countenance and promote these errors and prejudices by their pretendedly learned or whimsical interpretations, spinning out lengthy discourses from a single sentence or clause of a sentence, thus teaching the hearers to believe that nobody can understand it but themselves. In this manner they steal the word from the people, feeding them with their own dreams and notions, instead of causing them to hear, and attend to the word of the Lord.

From this brief scriptural view of the private and personal religion of every intelligent bibletaught christian, both internally and externally considered; and this briefly contrasted with the popular religion of our day, we may clearly perceive an essential difference, and be hereby enabled both to examine ourselves, and admonish others. T. W.

No. 4.]

NOVEMBER 1, 1824.

Essays on the work of the Holy Spirit in the salvation of men.-Ño. IV,

such a gracious confirmation of that testimony, | Gentiles and Jews, that you may know them) not which, when believed, puts them in possession in words taught by human wisdom, (in Judea, of the most certain, cheering and animating hope the hope of immortality and eternal life! How diverse its gifts and operations! This persecuting Jew, in a moment, is converted, not only to the christian faith, but becomes himself the subject of its powers, the temple of its residence. The converted Jew, by its influence, is filled with the word of wisdom, and, while his tongue pronounces divine oracles, his finger communicates health to the incurable, and life to the dead. Another, who, yesterday, could not read an ancient prophecy or explain a Jewish emblem, to-day, filled with the word of knowledge, infallibly expounds all the secrets concealed in dark oracles, in obscure allegories, and in mysterious types of the oldest times. Another, who a moment before had no confidence in the crucified Nazarene, has that peculiar faith which impels and emboldens him to bid a demon depart, or a leprosy withdraw, in the assurance of seeing his command obeyed. Another, who, just now, ignorant of the past, and even of the present times, can, by the gift of prophecy, foretell infallibly what will happen next week, next year, or a century to come. Another, who, till now, knew not what manner of spirit was in himself, can, by the gift of discerning spirits, detect the inmost thoughts of a stranger who has put on the christian name. Another who never knew a letter, an obscure and idolatrous pagan, who never learned the grammar of his vernacular tongue, can speak foreign tongues with all the precision and fluency of an orator. And another, in the twinkling of an eye becomes an able and accurate expositor and interpreter of languages, a letter of which he never learned. Yes, all these gifts, and many more, did one and the self-same Spirit distribute to every individual, respectively, as he pleased. These glorious, inimitable, and triumphant attestations to the truth concerning Messiah, did the Spirit of God vouchsafe, as well as reveal the truth itself. And, although these gifts were not bestowed on every first convert; yet in some instances, whole congregations, without an exception, became the temple of these gifts; and, for the encouragement of the gentiles, who, for ages, seemed to be proscribed from the favors of Heaven, the first gentile congregation to which the glad tidings were announced, was filled with these gifts, and they all, in a moment, spake foreign tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Greece or Rome,) but in words taught by the
Holy Spirit, explaining spiritual things in spirit-
ual words." "Now, an animal man, (whether
a prince, a philosopher, a legislator, or a rheto-
rician, in Judea, Greece or Rome, by the means
of all arts and sciences) receives not the things
of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to
him; neither can he know them, (by all his facul-
ties and attainments,) because they are spiritu-
ally examined" (by the light which revelation
and not reason affords.) "But the spiritual man
(the man possessed of a supernatural gift) ex-
amines, indeed, all things; yet he cannot be
examined by any animal man (because such
cannot judge of the principles suggested to him
by the Spirit;) for what man (who is merely
animal) has known the mind of the Lord, (his
deep designs respecting Jews and Gentiles,
now made known to us apostles,) who will (or
can) instruct him (the spiritual man.) But we
(apostles) have the mind of Christ," and are
able to instruct your spiritual men, with all
their gifts. O! you Corinthians! How has this
beautiful passage been perverted by system
into a meaning the most remote from the mind
of the Spirit! The translation above given is
most consistent with the original, and, indeed,
is the translation of Dr. McKnight, who seems
to have rendered all those passages that speak of
spiritual gifts, in all the epistles, much more
accurately and intelligibly than any other trans-
lator we have seen. The animal man, or what
our translators call a natural man, spoken of by
the apostle, is quite another sort of a man than
the Calvinistic or Arminian natural man. The
apostle's natural man, or his animal man, was
a man who judged of things by his animal senses
or reason, without any revelation of the spirit;
but the natural man of modern systems, is a
man who possesses the revelation of the Spirit,
and is in the "state of nature" as it is called.
The apostle's natural man's eye had never seen,
his ear had never heard, his heart never con-
ceived any of those things written in the New
Testament-our natural man's ear has heard,
and it has entered into his mind to conceive, in
some way or other, the things which were re-
vealed by the Holy Spirit to the apostles.
argue from what is said of the one by the apos-
tle, to the other, is a gross sophism, though a
very common one; and by many such sophisms
is the word of God wrested to the destruction of
thousands.

To

Let it, then, be distinctly noticed, from all these premises, that these gifts had for their object, first, the revelation of the whole christian doctrine; and secondly, the confirmation of it; and without them, no man could either have known the truth or believed it. To this effect does the apostle reason, 1 Cor. ii. 9-16. He shews that none of the princes, the legislators, or wise men of Judea, Greece or Rome, ever could, by all their faculties, have discovered the hidden wisdom, "which God had determined before the Mosaic dispensation began, should be spoken to the honor of those apostles, gifted by the Holy Spirit." For so it was written, "Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and into the heart of man (before us apostles) those things have not entered, which God has prepared for them who love him. But God has revealed them (those unseen, unheard, and un-him and pervert his meaning. known things) to us (the apostles) by his Spirit" "Which things (before unknown, unheard, unseen,) also we (apostles) speak (to you

While we are upon this subject, we conceive we cannot render a more essential service to our readers than to detect and expose a few such sophisms connected with the work of the Holy Spirit; in doing which we will still farther illustrate the topic under investigation.

Before coming to specifications, we shall make but one preliminary observation, viz. that in the fixed style of the New Testament, there are certain terms and phrases which have but one meaning attached to them; and when we use those phrases or terms in any other meaning than that attached to them in the sacred style, we as infallibly err, as if in using the term Jupiter, I should always attach to it the idea of a planet, whereas the author, whose work I read, always attaches the idea of a god to it. In such a case, I must, in every instance, misunderstand

The first specimen (and we can only give a few specimens) we shall give is from 1 Cor. xii. "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to

every man to profit withal." A thousand times | serve as a third example of this species of sois this sentence quoted to prove, and many a phistry. Without either denying or affirming sermon is preached from it to show, that there the truth of the popular sentiment, as an abis some kind of communication, afflation, or gift of stract speculation, let us see whether this was the Holy Spirit given to every man to improve, the meaning of the apostle. The apostle, from or profit withal, to his own salvation. Three the 17th verse, is declaring his prayer to God notable mistakes are obvious in such a perver- for the Ephesians; and, in the 18th verse, mension of the text: First, the manifestation of the tions one item of his request, viz. "that the Spirit denotes in this context, some spiritual gift eyes of their understanding being enlightened, by which the Spirit is visible, or, at least, evi- they might know what is the hope of their calldently manifested to be in or with the person. ing, and what the riches of the glory of his inSecondly, the every man denotes the spiritual heritance prepared for the saints: and that they men only, or every one that possessed a spiritual might know what the exceeding greatness of gift; for of these only the apostle here speaks. his power will be (in the resurrection and gloriThirdly, to profit withal denotes that the spir-fication of their bodies) with relation to us who itual man did not receive this gift for his own believe (which will be similar in glorifying the benefit especially, but for the profit of the other bodies of the saints to what it was in raising and members of the body; as the ear or eye does glorifying Christ's body) according to the worknot receive impressions for its own benefit ing of his mighty power, which he wrought in merely or primarily, but for the benefit of the Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and whole body. This is just the design of the exalted him," &c. So that the power here spoapostle in the whole passage. ken of is a power to be exhibited in raising the bodies of the saints, and not a power to be exhibited in producing faith; for the Ephesians had already believed.

point, and, therefore, it cannot be precisely determined. A few hints, however, on this subject, may be useful, in connexion with the design of these essays. It must be remarked, that when Peter first opened the reign of heaven to the Jews, these gifts were showered down in a more copious manner, than at any one period afterwards among the Jews. The proof of this fact will presently appear. When the same apostle Peter, who was exclusively honored with the keys, opened the reign of Messiah the King to the Gentiles, in the house of Cornelius, the Holy Spirit fell on all the congregation, as it did on the Jews "at the beginning." This phrase, "at the beginging," denotes that the Spirit of God had not fallen on the Jewish congregation, as it did on Pentecost; and from Pentecost, till the conversion of the Gentiles, such a scene was never witnessed, even by the apostle; for he could find no parallel case, to which he could refer in giving a description of it, save that which happened in Jerusalem on Pentecost. The Samaritans did not receive it in the same manner as the Jews and Gentiles received it. Until Peter and John went down from Jerusalem, after many of the Samaritans had believed and were baptized, the Holy Spirit had fallen on none of them; but Peter and John imparted it to them by laying on their hands." In almost every other instance, if not in all other instances, the Holy Spirit was communicated by the apostles' hands; consequently, when the apostles all died, these gifts were no longer conferred; and gradually all the converts who had those gifts died also; and, therefore, these gifts did not long survive the apostles. A reason for their ceasing to be conferred will appear in our next essay, which will be devoted chiefly to the third species of evidence, which the Holy Spirit vouchsafed to the testimony concerning Christ. Correct views of the office of the Holy Spirit in the salvation of men, are essential to our knowledge of the christian religion, as also to our enjoyment of it. On mistaken views of it are engrafted most of the extravagant systems of our times. EDITOR.

King James' Instructions to the Translators of the Bible-with extracts and remarks. [The following copy of instructions, with the extracts, are taken from Lewis' History of the English Translations of the Bible. They are here inserted, not to introduce the controversy about baptism, but to shew (what is little known) that King James actually forbade the translators of our Bible to translate the words baptism and baptize, and that these words accordingly are not translated by them. If any of our readers should doubt of the correctness of the extracts made, we refer them

4. When any word has divers significations, that to be kept which has been most commonly used by the most eminent fathers, being agreeable to the propriety of the place, and the analogy of faith.

5. The division of the chapters to be altered, either not at all, or as little as may be, if necessity so require.

6. No marginal notes at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek words, which cannot, without some circumlocution, so briefly and fitly be expressed in the text.

7. Such quotations of places to be marginally set down, as shall serve for the fit references of one scripture to another.

8. Every particular man of each company to take the same chapter or chapters; and having translated or amended them severally by himself where he thinks good, all to meet together, to confer what they have done, and agree for their part what shall stand.

9. As any one company has despatched any one book in this manner, they shall send it to the rest to be considered of seriously and judiciously: for his majesty is very careful in this point.

10. If any company, upon the review of the book so sent, shall doubt or differ upon any places, to send them word thereof to note the places, and therewithal to send their reasons, to which if they consent not, the difference to be compounded at the general meeting, which is to be of the chief persons of each company, at the end of the work.

11. When any place of special obscurity is doubted of, letters to be directed by authority to send to any learned in the land for his judgment in such a place.

12. Letters to be sent from every bishop to the rest of the clergy, admonishing them of this translation in hand, and to move and charge as many as being skilful in the tongues, have taken pains in that kind, to send their particular observations to the company, either at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford, according as it was directed before in the king's letter to the archbishop.

13. The directors in each company to be the deans of Westminster and Chester, and the king's professors in Hebrew and Greek in the two universities.

14. These translations to be used when they agree better with the text than the Bishop's Bible, viz. Tyndal's, Coverdale's, Matthews',* Wilchurch's, Geneva."

"A copy of these orders or instructions being sent to Mr. Lively at Cambridge, and other copto the above work, that they may read for themselves.]ies to Dr. Harding, the king's reader of He

ED.

"FOR the better ordering of the proceedings of the translators, his Majesty recommended the following rules to them, to be very carefully observed:

1. The ordinary bible, read in the church, commonly called the Bishop's Bible, to be followed, and as little altered as the original will permit. 2. The names of the prophets and the holy writers, with the other names in the text, to be retained, as near as may be, according as they are vulgarly used.

3 The old ecclesiastical words to be kept; as the word church, not to be translated congregation, &c.

Some sophistically talk of outpourings of the Holy Spirit now-a-days; yet, in the apostolic age, when the phrases poured out and shed forth were fixed in their meaning, there were but two outpourings of any note of which we read; in other cases it was given in another

manner.

brew at Oxford, and Dr. Andrews, dean of Westminster; it seems as if some other doubts arising concerning them, application was made by the vice-chancellor to the bishop of London for the resolution of them. To which his lordship replied, that "To be sure, if he had not signified so much to them already, it was his majesty's pleasure, that, besides the learned persons employed with them for the Hebrew and Greek, there should be three or four of the most eminent and grave divines of their university assigned by rest of the heads, to be the overseers of the the vice-chancellor, upon conference with the translations, as well Hebrew as Greek, for the better observation of the rules appointed by his highness, and especially concerning the third and fourth rule; and that when they had agreed

* This seems to intend the great bible printed 1539-40, by Edward Wilchurch, one of king Henry VIII's printers, and Grafton.