of pressing forward in holy obedience, in order to be saved. Much deceit and wickedness is practiced by those who wish to subvert the gospel, in thus misrepresenting its fundamental truths, and concealing from the public, the evidence in their favour. Another artifice of those who wish to subvert the gospel is, to avoid an explicit and full avowal of their own sentiments, in plain and unequivocal terms. They are generally opposed to creeds and confessions of faith, and refuse to put their sentiments into a systematic and tangible form, sensible, no doubt, that it is safer for them to be continually changing their position, or retreating, than to risk an action in the field of honest and fair investigation. Such deceitful works of darkness, in connexion with misrepresenting the scheme of their opponents, is well adapted to keep their votaries from seeing the harmony and importance of the peculiar truths of revelation, and the inconsistency, absurdity and danger of their own schemes. There is also another advantage of this art. By pubBy publishing no definite system of their own, by which to limit their fellowship, they can consistently extend their charity to every body they please. And in this era of toleration in religious opinions, the name of being liberal and charitable is well adapted to gain them popularity. These are a few of the leading arts which are practiced at the present day, by the enemies of the gospel, who wish to subvert its fundamental truths. And in these and other deceitful arts, they are constantly advancing nearer to perfection. If it is necessary to prove this, it may easily be done, simply by adverting to the success of those who practise them. Almost all the enlightened world are now embracing religion of some kind or other. The principal denominations of errorists are rapidly increasing, while those who are nothingarians in name, in many places at least, are decreasing. There is a divine prediction that the enemies of the gospel will carry their arts of deception to such a high degree of perfection, as to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect," and another, that 66 evil doers and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." All classes of persons are in danger of being led astray or of being deceived by those who wish to subvert the pure truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But why are evil doers constantly advancing nearer to perfection in the deceitful works of darkness? One reason why they advance is, because it is necessary in order to quiet their own consciences. The evidence in favour of the peculiar doctrines of the gospel is constantly accumulating, and light is constantly exposing the deceitfulness and sophistry of errorists. The consciences of all men ever stand ready to condemn them for hating and opposing the pure truths of revelation, whenever the evidence in their favour is fairly before them and they have liberty to speak. And the increasing light gives their consciences new opportunities to see their hearts, and condemn them for their deceit and wickedness. But a wounded spirit," or self-reproach, is more than their proud spirits can bear. Hence it becomes necessary for them to make constant advances in the arts of deception and of inventing new and plausible excuses, in order to blind and deceive their own consciences and prevent them from condemning and reproaching them for their wickedness. Another reason why errorists are constantly advancing nearer perfection in the arts of sophistry and wickedness, is because it is necessary in self-defence. God has appointed an order of men whose business it is to defend the gospel, and detect the deceit and wickedness of those who wish to subvert it. And those who are faithful and discriminating, are constantly exposing the tricks and plots of deceitful and hypocritical Arminians, Calvinists and Hopkinsians. Every false scheme, and every deceitful plot, is constantly liable to be exposed and made to appear unscriptural, inconsistent and dangerous. But the schemes and devices of the hypocritical and deceitful will not endure the light of close and impartial examination. It is therefore necessary in self-defence and to escape detection, that sophisters and deceivers should constantly advance nearer to perfection in the arts of deceit and wickedness, and get beyond the reach of exposure. REMARKS. throw contempt upon the invisible things respecting God, which are manifest from the things which are mnade. The essential perfections of God, “ even his eternal power and Godhead," and the essential duties which he requires of his creatures, are manifest from his works. And that which is apparent, respecting God and the duty of his creatures, from the works of God, ought to be made, instead of a thousand other rules, the standard of interpreting the scriptures. It is impossible to explain and defend the gospel, without tracing it back to its original source, as emanating from the moral perfections of God. But those who are intimately acquainted with God, find no difficulty in explaining and defending the gospel and exposing the tricks and deceitful plots of those who wish to subvert it. Every selfish maxim and every selfish scheme may be easily refuted by comparing them with the essential perfections of God and the essential duty of his creatures, which appear from the things that are made. 1. If those who wish to subvert the gospel are constantly advancing nearer perfection in the arts of 2. If those who wish to subvert sophistry, deception and wicked- the gospel are constantly advancness, then it is absolutely neces- ing nearer perfection in the arts of sary for those who are set for its sophistry, deception and wickeddefence to advance in the knowness, then it is absolutely necesledge of God. No person can be sary for those who are set for its able to defend the gospel, without defence, to have a thorough knowbeing well acquainted with its ledge of mankind. This is necesleading doctrines and first prin- sary, in order to avoid being deciples; and no person can fully ceived and led astray, and in order understand these, without being to expose the deceit and wickedintimately acquainted with God. ness of seducers. How many But how many have attempted to well-disposed men have been deexplain and defend the gospel, ceived, disappointed, and led aswho are ignorant of the essential tray, by reposing confidence in perfections of God. How many human beings. How many have have sought to obtain a knowledge trusted others, just as though the of the gospel, without first seeking human heart was not deceitful to obtain a knowledge of God? above all things, and desperately How many rules of exegesis have wicked. How many have confibeen invented, by which to explain dently trusted professors of reliand interpret the scriptures, whichgion, just as if artful and aspiring Emen never put on the appearance | live godly in Christ Jesus, shalf suffer persecution." No other profession has so many strong temptations to unfaithfulness, as the clerical profession; because no other profession calls for the performance of so many trying and self-denying duties. It is always a trying and self-denying task to expose the deceit and wickedness of mankind; but it is peculiarly trying and self-denying, to expose and detect that deceit and wickedness which appears under the mask of piety. No persons are so unwilling to be exposed as hypocrites, and no others are so apt to oppose and resent the faithfulness of those who plainly describe their hearts. And the more people advance in the arts of deceit and bypocricy, the more they are disposed to resent and misrepresent the efforts of those who faithfully show them their hearts. Faithful ministers need large measures of grace, and need constantly to grow in grace, in order to be supported under their increasing trials, and to dispose them to keep themselves unspotted from the 13. of eminent piety. In this way, thousands of good people have been deceived, disappointed, and led astray from the path of duty, merely for the want of a more correct knowledge of the human heart. It is therefore essential that real Christians should have knowledge as well as goodness, and discernment as well as honesty." It is also impossible for any to be qualified to preach the gospel pungently and effectually, without being well acquainted with the nature and extent of the doctrine of total depravity. Ahab would never have exclaimed "hast thou found me, O mine enemy," if the Prophet had not been able to describe his heart. Sinners will never feel their total selfishness, and guilt, and be led to cry out, "What shall we do to be saved," until their hearts are described, and the law is applied to their selfish affections as well as to their immoral actions. But how is it possible for a person to describe that, of which he is ignorant? And as human beings are constantly advancing in the arts of deceit and wick-world. Without eminent and inedness, it is absolutely necessary for those who are appointed to defend the church of God from the cunning craftiness of men, to advance in the knowledge of human nature. S. If those who are disposed to subvert the gospel are constantly advancing nearer perfection in the arts of sophistry, deception and wickedness, then it is necessary for those who are set for the defence of the gospel, and are disposed to defend it, to grow in grace as well as in knowledge. Those who are really faithful, and are disposed to declare the whole counsel of God, and defend the gospel on correct principles, know by experience the truth of the divine declaration, "all that will creasing piety, no preacher of the gospel will be disposed to persevere and increase in faithfulness, and be able to maintain his reputation and influence among mankind. 4. If evil doers and seducers are constantly advancing nearer to perfection in the arts of deceit and wickedness, then it is indispensa bly necessary for those, who are set for the defence of the gospel, to advance themselves, and carry their people forward, in the science of theology. Never was it so necessary to preach with demonstration and with power, as at the present period. The "chaff and wheat" are not only together, but the one is so exactly counterfeited by the other, that nothing but the most plain, unequivocal, and discriminating preaching, will make them manifest. Errorists are constantly inventing new and subtle objections against the primary truths of the gospel, which overthrow the faith of some. And many who are unwilling to be called enemies to the gospel, are constantly seeking out new inventions to disprove the truth, necessity, or utility, of some of the essential doctrines and duties of religion. The various schemes of error are constantly appearing more systematic, plausible, and formidable; and nothing can prevent the universal spread of error, but the pure truths of the gospel, clothed with an invulnerable panoply. Those who are disposed to defend the truth against all the deceitful plots of its enemies, are sensible that they need the influence of the whole system of divine truth and the weight of every peculiar doctrine of the gospel in their favour. And they are sensible that they must attack the enemy in their fortress and drive them from their strong holds, or be continually annoyed by their deceitful plots. And they are also sensible that they must constantly advance in the arts of defence, in order to prevent the enemy from getting possession of their own treasures. Many, however, who pretend to defend the gospel, are unwilling to advance and carry their people forward in the science of theology. Indeed some are constantly labouring to carry their people back fifty* or a hundred, and some as much as one hundred and fifty years. But this is extremely unwise and dangerous, because the evil doers and seducers are constantly advancing. Many modes * The period of the German authors. The period of Turretin. of attack and defence which were successful five hundred or even fifty years ago, would fail of success at this period. Finally, if evil doers and seducers are constantly waxing worse and worse, and advancing in the arts of sophistry and deception; then none have good reason to complain and find fault with those ministers who are disposed to advance and carry their people forward in the science of theology. It is a mark of the stupidity and depravity of mankind, that they have ever been more disposed to complain of their teachers, for carrying them forward in the knowledge of God and their own hearts, than they have been to complain of them for carrying them backward. It was because Calvin and Luther and Bellamy and Edwards and Hopkins made advances, and were disposed to carry others forward in the science of theology, that their names were cast out as evil in their day and generation. And it is for the same reason that some who are now on the stage, are treated with contempt, ridicule and persecution. But such conduct is certainly extremely unwise and criminal. Evil doers and seducers are constantly waxing worse and worse, deceiving as well as being deceived. And those who are set for the defence of the gospel, or the church, are under the necessity of going forward or backward. It they attempt to remain stationary, they will be carried back by the tide of deceit and wickedness, which is constantly advancing. Let those, therefore, who have any regard to the cause of truth, and any regard for the salvation of mankind, "speak unto the children of Israel, that they go for ward." S. Č. EXPOSITION. The following exposition of a passage in the Psalms appears to us to be very judicious; yet should it not be entirely authorized, it at least contains a valuable moral. Psalm xxxvii. 25, 26.—“ I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread; (26) He is ever merciful and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.” Interpreters of scripture have found some difficulty in reconciling the 25th verse to matters of fact; for it is admitted that some truly pious persons have been reduced to extreme want; and that their children have been under the necessity of asking alms. Some commentators have therefore said that although this be a fact, yet it was one which never came under the personal observation of King David: others have confined the assertion to the Old Testament dispensation, the promises of which were chiefly temporal blessings. An old writer on Providence says, "We sometimes see religious men (though it is a hard task-I would not willingly be employed in it— to reconcile hardness of heart to religion;) yet so it is, that we sometimes find persons who seem to be devout and religious, yet when you come to them for an act of charity, Oh! it grateth them; a sixpence comes at two or three pulls, and with many a grudge and excuse. You may possibly see such a man decay (God distributes his estate because he would not) and such a man's seed you may see begging bread; but for "a good man," "one that disperseth abroad and giveth to the poor""one who is ever merciful and lendeth," David never saw such a man's seed begging bread. It is no wonder that thousands of men grow poor by lending; but he that by giving to the poor "lends to the Lord," never lost by that lending. The great God "never yet failed, never yet was unfaithful." But perhaps the difficulty arises. from disjointing the two verses, Let not the wealthy fear that the 25th and 26th; and indeed in- they shall themselves be impovernumerable mistakes arise from the ished, or that their families will detachment of passages which are be injured by their liberality to the closely connected in sense, but poor; it is "the surest way of unhappily separated by figures. In thriving," and the best expedient the present case, it is only neces- in the world to enrich their chilsary to enquire, who is the "right- dren. "Here is his bond, and it eous man" intended in the 25th must be a good one, if the scripverse? We are informed in the tures be the word of God. The 26th, it is he "who is ever merci- richest man in the world may, for ful and lendeth;" it is he who aught we know, be poor to-morrow, "disperseth abroad, and giveth to or he may prove unfaithful to his the poor;" and to such persons word; but the Lord is the everlastthere are many precious promises. ing possessor of heaven and earth, The God of truth hath said (Prov. and, he cannot lie, nor deceive xix. 17,) "he that hath pity upon any one that trusts in him. God the poor lendeth to the Lord; and will be sure to pay what is given that which he hath given will he to the poor at his command, with repay him again." Do we believe great increase. The greatest usthis? Another promise (Prov.urer on earth cannot make so much xxvii. 27,) is still more to the pur- of his money as the man that gives pose, "He that giveth to the poor to the poor." Lon. Ev. Mag. shall not lack." |