ward us through Christ." "We may perceive his good will and love towards us: he hath sent the same his son into this world, which hath suffered most painful death for us. Shall I now think that God hateth me? Or shall I doubt of his love towards me? Here you see how you shall avoid the scrupulous and most dangerous question of the predestination of God. For if thou wilt enquire his counsels and enter into his consistory, thy wit will deceive thee, for thou shalt not be able to search the counsels of God. But if thou begin with Christ, and consider his coming into the world, and dost believe that God hath sent him for thy sake, to suffer for thee, and deliver thee from sin, death, the devil, and hell, then, this simple question cannot hurt thee, for thou art in the book of life, which is Christ himself."

"Now seeing that the Gospel is universal, it appeareth that God would have all mankind saved, and that the fault is not in him, if we be damned. God would have all men to be saved: his salvation is sufficient to save all mankind, but we are so wicked of ourselves that we refuse the same, and we will not take it when it is offered unto us; and therefore he saith, Few are chosen, that is few have pleasure and delight in it; for the most part are weary of it, they cannot abide it:" "few stick heartily unto it, and can find in their hearts to forego this world for God's sake and his holy word." "Such men are cause of their own damnation; for God would have them saved, but they refuse it, like as did Judas the traitor, whom Christ would have had to be saved, but he refused his salvation." "Whosoever heareth the word of God and followeth it, the same is elect by him. Whosoever refuseth to hear the word of God, and follow the same, is damned. So that our election is sure if we follow the word of God. Here now is taught you how to try yourelection." "In Christ are written all the names

of the elect." "Christ is the book of life, and all that believe in hin are in the same book, and so are chosen to everlasting life; for only those are ordained which believe, Therefore, when thou hast faith in Christ, then thou art sure of thine election. If thou be without Christ, and have no faith in him, neither art sorry for thy wickedness, nor have a mind and purpose to forsake sin, then thou art not in the book of life as long as thou art in such a case, and therefore shalt thou go into everlasting fire. But there is none so wicked but he may have a remedy. What is that? Enter into thine own heart and search the secrets of the same. Consider thine own life and how thou hast spent thy days. And if thou find in thyself all manner of uncleanness and abominable sins, and so seest thy damnation before thine eyes; what shalt thou do? Confess the same unto thy Lord God. Be sorry that thou hast offended so loving a Father, and ask mercy of him in the name of Christ, and believe sted fastly, that he will be merciful unto 'thee in the respect of his only son, which suffered death for thee, and then have a good purpose to leave all sin and wickedness, and to withstand and resist the affections of thine own flesh, which ever fight against the spirit; and to live uprightly and godly after the will and commandment of thy heavenly Father. If thou go thus to work, surely thou shalt be heard: thy sin shall be forgiven thee: God will shew himself true in his promise: for to that end he hath sent his only son into the world that he might save sinners. Consider therefore, I say, wherefore Christ came into this world; consider also the great hatred and wrath that God beareth against sin: and again consider his great love, shewed unto thee, in that he sent his only son to suffer most cruel death, rather than that thou shouldest be damned everlastingly."

"And thus may you see who are

attends it. There is a parallel case in Mark iv. 11. where the same Greek article, though in a different case, is used; and the translators, to render the sense perspicuous, have used the word these, which they put in italics, to show that it is not strictly consistent with the original. I submit this criticism to the consideration of the readers of the Christian Observer; and it is done with the greater diffidence, as no translator or commentator that I have consulted, gives the words of the apostle the meaning which I have attached to them. I do not, however, claim the originality of the criticism, it having been communicated to me many years ago by a learned friend.

It is possible to give an explica tion of this passage, which may in a great measure justify the sense of our translators; but if what is here offered be, as I apprehend it is, justifiable on the principles of sound criticism, it makes the sense so easy and perspicuous, as to render explication unnecessary.

H. T.

The history of this unhappy man has powerfully, however, enforced on me one conclusion, on which I a desirous of troubling you with a few thoughts; the rather, because its importance appears to me to be commonly too little regarded in practice, even by those from whom it might be expected to receive the greatest attention. I mean the extreme importance of thoroughly grounding young men, especially those who are to move in the higher walks of life, or to mix much with the world, in the evidences and proofs of the truth of revelation in general, and of its leading doctrines and principles. This ought to be considered as a fundamental part of education; indeed, as by far the most important part. Surely, this is a truth too obvious to be questioned. Are we forming the future member of a civilized community? We are also training an heir of immortality. Here he is to be but a stranger and a pilgrim, who is on his way to a better country, where he is to dwell for ever. What but

SIR,

The narrative which was contained in your Observer, for November, of the last hours of the Hon. Mr. Newport, speaks with so powerful a Voice, as can scarcely fail to command the serious notice and consideration of all who are not judicially hardened into inattention. While we shudder at the dreadful scene, we recognize the mercy as well as the terrors of the Almighty, who doubtless intended, that the extra ordinary manifestation of divine vengeance in the sufferings of this unhappy man, should deter all who should see or hear of them, from entering into those infidel paths which had so fearful a termination.

The lessons indeed, which this story inculcates, are so clearly as well as so convincingly taught, as

employ all the care and attention in making preparations for the transitory passage, with an utter neglect of all that should be necessary, after the journey should have been completed, for the utility or happiness of his future life? or rather, to put the case more accurately, with utter inattention to the only means by which that future life can be secured from the certainty of extreme and never ending misery.

But it may be replied, we would imbue our young man with principles, and habits of christianity, though we cannot think it necessary to make him master of the proofs and evidences of its divine original. There is also a strange notion tea commonly current, that studying the evidences of christianity often tends to infuse doubts and objections which would not otherwise occur, thereby producing at first a dispu

In truth, it would be strange indeed, if the case were otherwise. The Almighty has compounded our minds of two great faculties, the understanding, and the will, which last comprehends the affections; and should we not therefore, prior to experience, be led to presume, that our holy religion, in vindicating its claim to a divine original, would address itself to both these faculties;-That while it should appeal to the heart, and provide for its reception by the holy and happy affections which it should there call forth, so it should also produce arguments and proofs, to which it should require our attention, and the serious consideration of which should lead us to recognize more clearly its character of heavenly wisdom. But it is well worthy of remark, that the heart cannot be powerfully affected, unless the understanding be first thoroughly convinced, and the assent decisively obtained. The great masters of oratory among the ancients well knew this, and one of their most important rules was grounded on the principle. In truth, every day's experience might alone serve to impress the same conclusion. What can be the cause, why men, sufficiently wakeful to their interests in other cases, are continually hearing, and almost falling asleep from

mere indifference while they are hearing, of the terrors of hell and the joys of heaven? Is it not that some secret and sceptical doubt of the truth of these things has tainted the mind, and rendered the feelings inaccessible? So long as men acknowledge the reality of these in-" visible things, there is some hope of them; the way to their feelings is at least open; we may expect, in some favourable concurrence of circumstances, to animate their hopes or alarm their fears; but when once become sceptical, the very ground on which we should place our battery, is cut from under us, and our assault is at an end. Let this truth be ever borne in mind, by all whose profession renders it their duty to endeavour to influence the hearts and work on the feelings of men;--and let them, especially when they are conversant with the higher orders, if they observe their hearers remain unmoved, while considerations, in their own nature and importance the most affecting, are urged on them, strive to discover, whether there may not be some lurking principle of unbelief, more or less strong, which bars all approaches to the heart. Let people remember also, in their own practice, the important position which I have been laying down; and let them be aware, that the unbelief of which I have been speaking, may produce powerful effects, though it may not assume the shape of a formal argument or the substance of a distinct objection. Such is the nature of the human mind, that a mere floating cloud of incredulity, the confused hesitating suggestion of a hope that all may not be truc, or not true at least to the extent of what is stated, may be sufficient to impair or destroy the efliciency of arguments and statements otherwise the most powerful and affecting. But to quit this subject, on which, on account of its extreme practical importance, I hope I shall be forgiven for dwelling so long; in examining whether or not we ought to make ourselves

masters of the evidences of the truth of christianity, we need not argue, as we have hitherto done, from probability only, what we might expect to be the case. Let us rather declare what the fact actually is. It has pleased God to furnish many strong evidences both external and internal of the truth of christianity, and surely this alone is a sufficient indication of his will, that we should carefully observé and seriously consider them. We know how heavy a charge is laid against those "who consider not the operations of the divine hand," and it is expressly mentioned as a crime in others, that they neglected the inferences afforded by the ordinary course of nature, of the being and providences of God; and can it then be otherwise than criminal, to be inattentive to those evidences and proofs, which God himself has graciously furnished of the religion which comes from him?-Again, the Almighty has graciously raised up, from time to time, men, whose understandings and researches have been successfully devoted to this honourable service; and is not this an intimation on his part, that we should listen to their lessons? And it is farther worthy of remark, that proofs of the divine authority of christianity have generally been furnished, in proportion as, from the peculiar circumstances of the times, they might seem to be wanted. In our own days, for instance, when, from various causes which it is not difficult to assign, but the enumeration of which would occupy us too long on the present occasion, infidelity has widely diffused itself, it has pleased God to favour us also with a more full and particular, and I had almost said a more decisive summary, of the proofs of the divine authority of christianity, than was ever before vouchsafed to man.

But the word of God affords a direct confirmation of these arguments from probability. It is remarkable, that throughout the whole scriptures, CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 49.

God deals with us as with reasonable beings. And let it be remembered, that our Saviour's answer to the rich man in the parable, does not imply, that it was wrong to require sufficient evidence of the truth of revelation; but only, that there was already a sufficiency both of proof and of instruction, in the writings of Moses. The injunction of the apostle also should not be forgotten, as fully involving the conclusion for which I now contend, and it will be no mean argument to those who know how to estimate its force," that we should be always ready to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us." Infidelity, as might be expected, prevails most commonly in those countries, in which the superstitions of popery, detected in the progress of light and knowledge, brought discredit on christianity itself. But it is not, alas, to Popish countries, that scepticism is confined, though in them it be most generally prevalent. It has been in our own country the too natural and sure consequence of that relaxation of morals, and that indifference to religious institutions, which always attend increasing wealth and prosperity; greatly aggravated in our instance, by the large intercourse we have had with foreign countries; in which, to our disgrace it must be confessed, we have been less solicitous than any nation in Europe, whether Protestant or Popish, to provide for our countrymen while abroad, the means of attending public worship, according to our own established forms*. And

*It was remarked with the strongest

expressions of grief and shame to the writer of this article, by the late celebrated Mr. Howard, that when he was at Vienna, he had seen 40 or 50 (the precise number

the writer does not recollect, but it was a very considerable one) young men of high birth, large fortune, and extensive influence, who, owing to the neglect of our government, in not making a chaplain a necessary part of an ambassador's estabishment, and the celebration of divine.

C