Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

Unity,

Mark 12, 32.

I Cor. 8, 4. 1 Thess. 1, 9. From (everlasting to everlasting.) Pf. 90, 2.) Without body, parts or paffions, (or to speak pofitively, a pure and perfect Spirit. John 4, 24) of infinite power, wifdom, and goodness. Matt. 19, 26. Pj. 147, 4. PS. 52, 1. the maker and preferver (or fuftainer) of all things both visible and invifible I. 44, 24. Neb. 9, 6. Heb. 1, 3. And in the unity of this Godhead (or divine nature) there be three perfons (Hypoftates or fubfiftances, Heb. 1, 3.) of the fame effence, power, and eternity, John 5, 7. Caiftinguished in fcripture by the names and perfonal cha racters of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft: Matt. 28, 19. † (and by the different offices of Creator. Redeemer, and San&ifier) Gen. 1, 27. Is. 64, 8. Gal. 3, 13. Rev. 5, 9. Rom. 15, 16. 2 Theff. 2, 13. I. Pet. 1, 2)

[ocr errors]

The above are firft truths, and the real foundation of the Chriftian religion: And the firft error we are confequently exposed to, is that of holding the Unity of God in fuch a manner as to exclude all personality: that of fpeaking and reafoning of him, not as he has revealed himfelf, but according to our private and partial conceptions.

An Unity and Trinity is a mystery as to the manner of it, which is not revealed, probably to try our faith and fubmiffion; poffibly because above our prefent comprehenfion: notwithstanding which it is fuffici. ently clear in both the doctrine and the duty, and that is as far, I apprehend, as we are at prefent con

When we confider God in Unity he is na'itios and pana'itios, the original of all, himfelf without original.

When we confider God in Perfonality, we may fafely allow, that the Son of God was eternally begotten by the eternal incomprehenfible power and will of the Father; and that the holy Spirit was likewife eternally derived from the Father, by or through the Son, according to the eternal incomprehenfible will of the Father.

cerned :-For fecret things belong unte the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever. Deut. 29,29.

The doctrine is no more than this plain affirmation-That in the divine,nature there is unity and diftinction: The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: Thefe three are one. The duty from thence arifing is,

First, That we worship God in unity: And fecondly, that we worfhip him in diftinction, or apply to him as Father, in office or divine economy, fupreme confervator and governor. Son, in office or divine economy, prophet, prieft, and king. Holy Spirit, in office or divine economy, Lord and giver of life, the affifter and fanctifier of the mind.

The humble man will ever feek God in the way or method of his own appointing: And the fcriptures inform us, that we have accefs to God, through Chrift, and by the Spirit. Eph. 2, 18. The Spirit (by which) dwells in and affitts the fai hful; and Chrift (through whom) is our advocate with the Father; who (as fupreme governor) is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.

N. B. As to the real diftinguishing effence of God, we certainly can have no idea of it; nor indeed of the effence of any other being or fubftance, whether material or fpiritual; and I think, this equal and perfect unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghoft, may be beft conveyed to the mind and illuftrated by the unity arifing from their thoughts and purposes. (Comp. John 17, 21, 22, 23. And Acts 4, 32. For as these three infinite perfons must be actuated by the fame one infin e mind; confequently they may be confidered and worshiped as one in effence (or in that which diftinguishes and conftitutes Deity, however incomprehenfible to us) and yet as three in agency.

JOHN WEDDRED. St. hn, Leicestershire, June, 16.

MISCELLANIE S.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE NEW CHRISTIAN'S MAGAZINE.

Gentlemen,

To endeavour to rèfcue the memory of the illuftrious dead from the poifoned arrows of envious livers, is a tribute due to individuz als, and a juft debt to the community. In your last Number, under the life of the late worthy Dr. Pearce, bishop of Rochester, you have obferved, that, as his lordfhip's ftrange defire, of refignation, could not be traced from avarice, it was attributed by fome to vanity: and he was fufpected of afpiring to the antiquated praife, if fuch a thing can happen, of contempt of wealth, in folitary retirement.I am very happy to do juftice to fo venerable a character, by producing a letter under his own hand, a proof to the contrary-an inconteftible one, fince it was wrote to one, who was a perfect stranger to him, and therefore must convey his genuine fentiments upon this head, as there was not the leaft probability of its being made public; efpecially as he prefaces it with that folemn declaration, that as every clergyman ought, he had all his life long made thofe facred writings the chief object of his ftudies. The natural conclufion therefore, is, that his wish for refignation, was from a defire of continuing to make them the chief object of his ftudies, as well knowing them to be the crown of his hoary age; but, I haften to tranfcribe the letter, and conclude myfelf, with great respect,

Your conftant reader,

and well-wisher, EUSEBIUS.

July 30th, 1783.

[blocks in formation]

I

Bromley in Kent, July 17, 1764 Rverend Sir;

Received your letter of the 9th inftant, and with that I could aufwer it more to your fatisfaction. The Newfpapers have, indeed, taken great liberties, upon very little grounds, of mentioning my name at different times, for fome months paft, and particularly have faid, that I am engaged in writing notes upon the holy fcriptures. It is true, that as every clergyman ought, I have all my life long. made thofe facred writings the chief object of my studies, and have prez pared fome things which may be of ufe towards the better understand. ing of the four Gofpels, and the Acts of the Apoftles: But, when I fay this, I do not mean that it is fo prepared as to be fit for the prefs. To do this, requires more leisure than I can poffibly find in the ftations wherein I am placed, and from both which, I have humbly requested of his majesty, that f might be difmiffed, upon account of my age and infirmities, and fpend the fhort remains of that life; which it fhall pleafe God to continue to me, in a ftate of retirement, fupported only by my own private fortune. This request, however, has not been complied with, and I submit to whatever my fuperiors think proper.

As for a commentary on the Bible, it feems too great a work for one man, at leaft, for a man fo far advanced, beyond 70 years, as I am. If you, Sir, in your ftudies have been fo fuccefsful, by the

bleffing

bleffing of God, as to have difcovered in the holy fcriptures, what may be of the utmost confequence towards the defence of Christianity, particularly by dif covering fuch a period of time, for the continuance of the defolation of the Jews, &c. I heartily with, that the difcovery may be attended with all the advantages of every fort, which may be reaped from it, by you, and the reft of mankind.

I have never made the prophecy of Daniel, concerning the 70 weeks, any particular object of my tudy; knowing nothing hitherto, on that important point, but what the most eminent the learned among have advanced.

[ocr errors][merged small]

TO THE EDITORS OF THE

NEW CHRISTIAN'S MAGAZINE. Gentlemen,

Obferving in your Magazine for May laft, a quere propofed, "Whether there be Ordination in Marriage." I have taken the liberty of fending you my thoughts on that fubject, which if thought worthy a place in your truly inftructive and beneficial Magazine, they are offered with all the deference that youth can fuggeft, and by inferting them you may, perhaps, oblige others of your Subfcribers, as well as

Your most humble Servant,
W. M..
Salisbury, Ang. 4, 1783.

[blocks in formation]

fume few will deny, feeing it was first inftituted by him at the creation of man, fanctioned by Chrift, whilft in the flesh, and confirmed as good by most of the apostles: Yet from this for many to take occafion to fay, that God does preordain who shall marry, and with whom they fhall marry, and confequently they will or can marry no other, is oppofite to fcripture and right reafon. For this doctrine (betides deftroying the free will of man) unavoidably lays us under a neceffity of conceiving God as preordaining the means and end of the union and marriage of every perfon; and thereby often pre-ordaining fin; for if we but a moment turn our eyes to conjugal focieties, and take a tranfient view of the many unhappy matches this Ifland of Great Britain abounds with, we shall there fee, I am afraid, mifery and unhappiness trongly ftampt in many families, fufficient to convince us, that God never ordained their union. In this view how many fhall we see taking matrimony as a cloak for crimes, while others by jarring difcontent, quarrellings, and broils, too often plainly diftinguifh the first year, from the first week after marriage; and, indeed, if we turn our eyes from this fcene of woe, to one more pleafing, though not lefs finful, and fee the means which bring many of thofe unhappy wretches to the altar; there we may obferve a natural thirft after riches, honour, or pleafure, leads fome, whilst a blind mistaken paffion, the will of parents, or the confequences of a preceding crime, which by marrying, they intend to hide; force others to join hands with thofe whom God never intended they fhould marry, and, perhaps, many themfelves never wifhed to have married. Can we fuppofe, therefore, that a pure, holy, and happy Being, fhould

S'

chus

thus pre-ordain the fin or mifery of his indigent creatures? No,, a Deity, who willeth the happiness of his creatures, can never fport thus with their mifery.

In order, therefore, that God may be clear from fuch an irreligious imputation, and appear to be juft and true in all his ways refpecting the children of men, I prefume the method here propofed of con. fidering ordination in marriage, will appear rational and fcriptural to every impartial mind.

As marriage was first ordained by God, and confequently is agreeable to his will; and as on chufing an agreeable partner in life, with whom to fpend, perhaps, our laft days, depends much of our earthly) happiness: we cannot but fuppofe that God (whofe delight is in the happiness of his creatures) will, and does direct them in an affair of

fo much moment and confequence, by influencing the minds of thofe whom it is his will fhould marry, for fuch objects with whom they will live more happy, fulfil the intention of their union, and the will of God, and will be productive of more good, than a union with any other. That God did formerly direct his poor erring mortals in this manner, either inwardly or outwardly, is evident from Genefis xxiv. Numbers xxxvi. Deuteronomy vii. 3, 4. Joshua, xxiii. 12, 13. And were every one now to follow, as fome did of old, the fuggeftions only of the Spirit of God, or that impulfe of pure and genuine affection, which the greateft part of mankind if not all at times feel for particular objects, which God in his wifdom has allotted for them, and fees beft for them to marry; and were they to act always con formably to the dictates of fuch Spirit, I am perfuaded we should fee more harmony, peace, and happiness fubfift in families. But here is the

bane, for many like the fons of Seth, mentioned in Genefis vi. and the children of Ifrael mentioned in Ezra x. and Nehem. xiii.-take them wives of all whom they chufe, and run after strange wives; being prompted by fome of the reasons aforefaid, they rush into the facred noose of matrimony, without confidering, or confulting the will of God, or their future welfare, and thereby too often facrifice their future peace either to the unnatural request of an avaricious parent, an infatiable thirst after riches, honour or pleasure, a fear of poverty, or the frowns of the world, or to concupifcent defires, which often terminate in forrow; and by thefe, with many other like propenfities, which history is replete with, they invert the will of God, and what he intended as a bleffing, they make unto them an occafion of

finning, by refusing the perfons Providence had allotted for them, and willed them to marry, (and to whom he would have directed them had they attended only to the dictates. of his Spirit) and marrying others contrary to the mind and will of God, and thereby bring upon themfelves and family trouble and forrow, which but for the reasons before mentioned, had been, per-, haps, entirely prevented.

Seeing then that we may act contrary to the will of God in this, as well as in many other circumftances of our life, which might be attended with difagreeable confequences, I would recommend it to all who wish to live happy in a married ftate, (with me) to make application to the beneficent author of all good for his directions to chufe, and affiftance to obtain the object whom he in his infinite wifdom fhall fee beft for them to marry. And when they feel an affection for any particular perfon, that they may not be deceived by

the

the fuggeftions of an evil fpirit, let them try the spirits whether they be of God or not; If it be, which they may know from the purity of it, they would do well to cherish it with all their might; and God will direct, guide, and affift them, if they continue ftedfaft in well doing, in chufing, and obtaining a proper partner with whom they may spend their laft and happy days; but if their affection proceeds from an evil fource, and they discover it to be impure, or has any other end in view but the glory of God, and their mutual happinefs, let it be rejected with all that zeal with which they flee from mifery and woe.

DETACHED THOUGHTS.

Fine understanding may be

A compared to beauty, which,

however pleafing the features, finds few admirers of difcernment, unlefs accompanied by an expreffive countenance-fo the former lofes all its force, if not temper'd by virtue and good-nature.

An irreligious man can never be juft or grateful: He who can forget what he owes his maker, is not likely to remember the fmaller and more diminutive favours conferred on him by a fellow creature-By forgetting his God, he has broke through all ties, moral and religious-truly fays the poet.

He that's ungrateful has no crimes but one ; All other faults may pafs for virtues in him.

Great minds in adverfity, have fometimes proved little and mean in profperity, owing to a want of fenfibility; in mifery they are past the fenfe of feeling-and in grandeur are not above the little arts of depreffion.

Life abounds with evils; and thofe who have not real, will create imaginary troubles. Of the

two, the former is the most eligi, ble; with thofe, happiness may refume her feat in the mind, or a firm reliance on Providence will fmooth the thorny pillow; but the latter are involved in a perpetual gloom.

Friendship is the most pleafing, most rational, but at the fame time dangerous connection in life: Should a friend prove false it fours our nature, quenches warm affections, and makes us uncharitable in our opinions. To avoid these evils, let us examine well the feeming motives of friendship.

HENRIETTA.

THE

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTOR.

No. III.

INCE it is univerfally acknow

Sledged, that, diligently and

or

with unfeigned fincerity, to feek and infure a portion of endlefs and uninterrupted felicity in the fruition of God hereafter, is a point of the highest wifdom; is it not matter of aftonishment, to obferve many of thofe, who certainly poffefs excellent abilities, fhamefully mifpending the time allotted them for this important bufinefs, in heart-corroding worldlinefs, brutal fenfuality, without ever, perhaps, beltowing one ferious thought on that which ought to be their chief, their fole concern? If divine wifdom had not condefcended to reveal the cause of this infatuation, I am inclined to believe, it would have remained an inexplicable myftery, till the hour, when heaven and earth being on fire, fhall be diffolved." "The God of this world, faith the apoftle, hath blinded the minds of them that believe not." Dreadful consideration! And yet if we do not admit it to be true, how can

we

« ForrigeFortsett »