sincerity of any virtuous profession whatever; proof of this can be given to Omniscience only. He judges without the medium of signs; we through the medium of signs alone. But usual signs, which are those by which we judge, are not certain and infallible indications of right feeling and correct sentiment, because the same signs are not universally and exclusively connected with the same things. The sign may be seen, in consequence of having been surreptitiously assumed, where nothing like the thing signified exists; and, on the other hand, the thing may really exist, where, owing to the diffident and constitutional retirement of the individual, the sign is scarcely discernible. But, it will be asked, Does not conduct prove the sincerity of a man's profession?' No; not at all. It is true, it has been admitted by the concurrent consent of ages, that actions speak louder than words; and, indeed, their evidence may be supposed to be more decisive than that of words, inasmuch as a course of virtuous conduct must cost more self-denial and exertion, than fair words and fine speeches: still, however, they are only signs, and may, and will, be assumed, as well as words, provided the pretender who has an object to accomplish, thinks it worth such a price." P. 51. We are afraid of devoting too much space to this article, and shall therefore study brevity. are owing to him; and it is his duty broken into his house, or who has to prosecute a person who has murdered one of his family, and also to sue a debtor who can pay but will not. But, 3. There are some cases in which it is our duty to forgive our debtors, and not to compel them by law to pay us. These cases exist, when such compulsion would flow from wrath, hatred, malice, and revenge, and would therefore be in opposition to that duty of universal and uncon ditional forgiveness, which is the term of salvation. 4. With respect to familiar intercourse, friendship, and confidence, the great bulk of offences from one friend to another are of such a kind, as scarcely to suspend them, much less to prevent their restoration; whilst there are some injuries of such a nature, that unless reasonable satisfaction is made, and the best proof given which the criminal can give of sincere repentance, a restoration of former intercourse and friendship, is not only impossible, but highly unjustifiable. Let us has a servant named Perfidus, suppose a case. PAUL, we will say, This servant has been a great pre1. We differ from both Peter and nuated himself into PAUL'S good tender to religion, and has so iusiPaul as to the making repentance a term of forgiveness, being fully per- with a considerable portion of his graces, that he has intrusted him suaded that it is our duty to forgive our enemies, whether they repent or property. Suppose, farther, that not, and to exercise this forgiveness and has robbed his master to a very PERFIDUS has betrayed his trust, by loving them with a love of bene-large amount. Would it be wrong volence, and by praying for them; for PAUL to make a public example and also by doing them good, when- of such a man? Or rather, would it ever we have an opportunity of do-be the duty of PAUL, as a term of ing it without infringing upon the salvation, if PERFIDUS were to say, rights of other and superior claimants. Thus our Lord prayed for his enemies, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. In this sense, the sun is not to go down upon our wrath. Opposed to this duty of forgiveness, which is universal and unconditional, are wrath, hatred, malice, and revenge. But, 2. There is a sense in which it is our duty not to forgive, either our debtors, or those who have injured us, and this by the universal consent of mankind. It would be highly improper, for instance, for a tradesman to cross out all the book debts which him to his former situation, to intrust * In this address, the words in Italics the necessary change of persons, arising are copied from PAUL'S pamphlet, with from their being here supposed to be ad dressed by PERFIDUS to PAUL. erroneous opinion may console you un der your defectiveness in the exercise of that important grace. It is granted that this use is lawful and just, provided the premises are correct, that is, provided not only that forgiveness and reconciliation are distinct graces,' but that the latter is not necessary to the former. But query, will not this consolatory use cast a suspicion on the premises, in the estimation of the most conscientious Christians, who are best acquainted with the deceitfulness of the heart, and the various "Brother Paul, I confess my fault; I am sorry for having injured you; I entreat your forgiveness, and assure you that I am no longer your enemy, no longer opposed to your character, or your circumstances, or your interest; I am perfectly reconciled to you, and 1 take pleasure in your honour, and prosperity, and happiness. But reconciliation, to be perfect, must be MUTUAL. The desire of reconciliation may exist in my mind first, but it is not complete till both of us wish for it, and pursue such measures as will happily terminate in a reciprocal good understand-impostures which we are constantly in ing and cordial esteem. If it is my duty to ask not merely for forgiveness, but for reconciliation also, it must be your duty to receive me into former favour. If you were to deny this, it would follow, that your duty and mine would stand in DIRECT OPPOSITION to each other; that it would be my duty to ASK for what it would be your duty to REFUSE; my duty Jo Do what it would be your duty to orPOSE; that I should do WRONG soliciting what you would do RIGHT in withholding; that, in fact, you would be justifiable in OPPOSING me in the performance of an acknowledged duty. In short, if you have a right to refuse that reconciliation which I am required to seek, then is divine authority divided against itself, and a principle is admitted, on which the one half of mankind might be constantly employed in HINDERING the other half in the observance of the divine commands; and the harmony of those laws which assign us our respective and appropriate duties is exchanged for discord and contrariety." (Pp. 19, 20.) in "I do not desire you not to prosecute me; for that is entirely out of the question; but I charge you at your peril to restore to me your former familiar intercourse; to repose in me your former confidence; and to intrust as much money with me as you did before. I will prove this to be your duty. I have injured you, it is true: but I say that I repent; and therefore it is your duty to forgive me. What is FORGIVENESS? Is it not the REMISSION of the punishment due to the offence. If, then, after I am said to be forgiven, I suffer any disad vantage whatever, in consequence of my crime, is not the forgiveness incomplete? Is it not deficient both in extent and benevolence? In other words, too few and too explicit to be misunderstood or evaded, Is the whole punishment remitted while any part of it is endured?" (P. 40.) "If you only forgive me, and refuse what I farther require, it will prove that, in your estimation, reconciliation is not necessary to forgiveness. This danger of practising upon ourselves? Is the principle which admits such an application to be received without being very closely examined? Does it not seem to operate in a wrong direction? Is it not calculated, my dear brother PAUL, to cherish, rather than to suppress, your vanity and conceitedness? Are you not more likely to FLATTER yourself that you have DONE your duty, when you have NOT, than to DISTRESS yourself with the idea that you have NOT done it, when you really HAVE? Rather than silence your fears, perhaps just and salutary fears, that you have not done your duty in the article of Christian forgiveness, would it not be much better to exercise that perfect love,' which to forgiveness would add reconciliation, and thus cast out fear? (Pp. 13, 14.) "Perhaps, my dear brother, you are afraid of intrusting your property with me again. But in the scripture examples of forgiveness, there is no hint about the imprudence, no anticipation of the danger, of renewing former friendly intercourse; no horrors at the sight of the pit into which we have fallen. But, by the way, with all your cure and prudence, this is not the safest plan, if a very sensible author is right. If I am still your enemy, it is better to RECONCILE me than to CONQUER me; VICTORY may deprive me of the POWER to hurt for the present, but RECONCILIATION will disarm me even of my WILL to hurt." (Pp. 33, 34.) "You may farther object, that you cannot intrust me with your property again. I reply, You could if you would. Almost every person knows what he COULD NOT DO IF HE WOULD. (P. 6.) Then the impossibility is most decidedly MORAL. But does moral impossibility release from obligation? Or, is it an apology for the neglect of duty? Or, is it any excuse for its partial performance? The alleged impossibility, therefore, disappears; it has nó existence; it is merely ideal." (P. 12.) "Do you require proof that my repentance is sincere? If you do, permit ine to inform you that PROOF of sincere repentance is NOT necessary to the consist ent exercise of Christian forgiveness ? (P. 16.) "To make proof of the sincerity of a profession of repentance necessary to the consistent exercise of Christian forgiveness Would LOWER THE STANDARD OF OBLI- RULE; and it would be to require a NA- "It is not in the power of one human being to give to another ANY proof of the sincerity of ANY virtuous profession whatever; proof of this can be given to Omniscience only. He judges without the medium of signs ; we through the medium of signs alone. But usual signs which are those by which we judge, are not certain and infallible indicatioms of right feeling and correct sentiment, because the same signs are not universally and exclu sively connected with the same things. The sign may be seen, in consequence of having been surreptitiously assumed, where nothing like the thing signified exists; and, on the other hand, the thing may really exist, where, owing to the diffidence and constitutional retirement of the individual, the sign is scarcely discernible." (P. 50.) Many a sleepless night, and many an agonizing sigh-Oh! that I had not done it witness to myself my sincèré contrition." (P. 48.) "But you want something more than words. You wish me, by means of a constant course of self-denial, to make some partial restitution. I do not like' to listen to this; and therefore I say, CONDUCT does not at all prove the sin cerity of a man's profession. It is true, it has been admitted by the concurrent consent of ages, that actions speak louder than words; and indeed their evidence may be supposed to be more decisive than that of words, inasmuch as a course of virtuous conduct must cost more self-denial and exertion than fair words and fine speeches; still, however, they are only SIGNS, and may, and will, be assumed, as well as words, provided the pretender who has an object to accomplish, thinks it worth such a price." (Pp. 50, 51.) ance without Restitution, or without self-denial, and by every other lawendeavouring, by the exercise of ful means, to make it, is of no value; in proof of which we advise him to read Treatises on Repentance by our best divines; and that, to use the words of Boston, the forgiveness of those who have injured us" does not extend to a love of complacency and delight in them, in whom there appears no ground for that, either as men or as Christians. Psalm xxvi. 4. I have not sat with vain persons, says David; neither will I go in with dissemblers." Body of Divimity, Vol. III. P. 559. familiar intercourse, out of a person's Friendship, and confidence, and own domestic circle, are discretionary; they ought to be dealt out by him in proportion to the time which he can conveniently appropriate to them, and to what he deems to be the merit of the claimants; and they may and ought to be resumed, when the possessors of them have forfeited their claim. Nautical Essays, &c.; with Reflections * Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matt. v. 23, 24. The following is Dr. Doddridge's note on these words: "It is observable that Philo, (de Sacrif. pag. 844,) explaining the law of the trespass-offering, tells us, 'That when a man had injured his brother, and repenting of his fault voluntarily acknowledged it, (in which case both restitution and sacrifice were required,) he was first to make restitution, and then to come into the temple, presenting his sacrifice, and asking pardon." This is a very just and natural account of the matter, and adds a great illustration to this text: especially when it is considered, that our Lord supposes in this case, not a trespass-offering, but a voluntary gift presented before the altar; and yet declares, that this will not be accepted, while there is a consciousness of having —only reminding him, that Repent-wronged a brother, and not made him re paration." "In short, words prove nothing, and actions prove nothing: you have no right, therefore, to require any proof of my sincerity. And yet you are bound to repose exactly the same confidence in ine as before, which you can do if you will; and if you do not do this, your forgiveness will be only the name, and your eternal welfare will be endangered, Q. E. D." We must now leave PAUL to answer PERFIDUS as well as he can; VOL. XI. F which we hope will be extensively read by seamen; and by many also, whom the author denominates, "Non-nautical Christians on shore." The subjects are, "The new-launched Ship-The little Boat-The Fleet sailing out of PortThe Press Gang-The Convoy at SeaThe good Commodore- The River Stream-Navigating the Ship-Taking Advantage of Wind and Tide-The fair-weather and fresh-water SailorsThe Prodigal Son-The Smuggler-The shipwrecked Mariner-The Storm-The middle Watch The Anchor-The Voyage well ended → The unexpected happy Meeting-Man's Spiritual Insensibility-The Christian-Soldier-Reflections on the Battle of Trafalgar-The tors and their flocks-union between ministers-union between churches-union to churches-union to Christ-and family union." We most cordially agree with the author when he says, P. 24, "It would not be amiss if each youth were, once a week, to make it a consci entious point to ask, In what way can I best promote the comfort af my parents ?” In the last page, when speaking of Jacob, the author says, "He sees his own salvation near; tells God he Query. Should we not be careful, at all was waiting for it," &c. times, and especially in our addresses to the young, to use greater solemnity of style in whatever reWith these titles there are twenty-intercourse of the holy patriarchs lates to the great Eternal, or the two papers, in each of which the with Him? pious author seems to aim at the spiritual improvement of all his readers. Barbarisms of War." The particulars connected with the battle of Trafalgar, which the author gives as an eye-witness, are highly interesting. Perhaps it would have been better if he had kept the continuity of the narrative unbroken, and reserved all his reflections for the close of the paper. The reader is impatient to hear all he can hear respecting that great battle; and does not like to be interrupted by remarks, however importannt: nor indeed is he properly prepared to feel the weight of the very serious observations of the author till the battle is over. Family Union: a Sermon delivered at the Sabbath Evening Lecture, Union-street, Southwark, January 4, 1818. By James Churchill. THE sentiments of this sermon are evangelical, and the spirit which it breathes is worthy of a Christian preacher. In the introduction, the writer observes, "There are several unions which it appears highly desirable to strengthen ; such as union between church-members -union between members and the gene. ral congregation-union between deacops and managers-union between pas The Conversion of the World; or, the Claims of Six Hundred Millions of Heathen, and the Ability and Duty of the Churches respecting them. By the Rev. Gordon Hall and Samuel Newell, American Missionaries at Bombay. Published by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions; revised and corrected, with additional Notes and an Appendix, by a Friend of Missions in London. A STINGING, stirring pamphlet, which will do more good than many a fashionable quarto. In ninety-two small pages, containing facts, speculations, exhortations, and directions, condensed with great ingenuity, the reader, after spending only eighteen pence, will find himself amply rewarded. He will scarcely forbear exclaiming, " This is a Missionary Panorama; these are missionaries indeed, worthy of the name; what can I do? How shall I contribute to promote that desirable consummation which the scrip turcs exhibit to my view?" "Let the population of the globe be computed at eight hundred millions. 500 millions, 90 ditto, 180 ditto, Asia 30 ditto, 800 ditte, The Christian population will stand | six hundred millions of the human race as follows: to whom Christ has not yet been preach. ed!" Pp. 14, 15. ..... Asia ...... Europe. 2 millions, 3 ditto, 177 ditto, 18 ditto. Without pledging ourselves to the correctness of every statement of fact, much less to every speculation, in this little work, we most earnestly recommend the perusal of it to all our readers. Foreign and Domestic Intelligence. MORAVIAN MISSION. to attend our poor and defective congregation at Okkak." Our readers may expect further accounts of the other Moravian settlements in Greenland, &c. &c. in future numbers. BIBLE ADMONITION SOCIETY. friars'-road; and that a very simple, cheap, and easy plan has been commenced of effecting their purpose, by printing some of the most striking, imSCRIPTURE, on a large type, on sheets pressive, and alarming sentences of of paper, with a view to their being posted up in schools, warehouses, manufactories, workshops, dwelling-houses, thoroughfares, &c. &c. to serve as con tinual mementoes to all, especially to the thoughtless, unawakened, profane, dissipated, and abandoned of mankind. Farther particulars may be seen in their "Address to all the Friends of Religion and Morality, of the good Order of Society, and of the human Race;" in which the great utility and importance of such an undertaking are strikingly exhibited. OUR brethren, the Moravians, have just published the 82d number of their periodical accounts. From Hopedale settlement, on the coast of Labrador, in a letter dated Aug. 10, 1818, the missionaries express their gratitude to God for the safe arrival of the "Jemima," the form our readers, that a Society is about Ir gives us very great pleasure to insociety's ship; also, for the deliverance to be formed bearing this name; that a of several missionaries and their children provisional Committee has been already apfrom the danger of shipwreck off Cux-pointed, meeting at Mr. Page's, 62, Blackhaven. They say, "The word of the Cross, and the atonement made for sin, by the suffering and death of Jesus, las been the subject of our daily worship, and its power was manifest among us. We have seen many instances of the faithful leading of the Holy Spirit, and of his work in the hearts of the Esquimaux, particularly in the return of many to the good Shepherd from whom they had strayed." They also acknowledged the gift of copies of the Acts of the Apostles in the Esquimaux language, with fervent gratitude, from the Bible Society. From the settlement at Nain we find that they are about to form a fourth establishment at Kangerluksoak. They have sent the epistles, and the three first chapters of the Revelation in the Esquimaux language, requesting the Bible Society to print them. From Okkak, the other settlement, they say, "The distribution of the Acts of the Apostles among those who can read, excited great thankfulness towards their noble benefactors." Of this last settlement they say, "During the last winter 17 persons were added to the candidates for baptism; 14 adults and 7 children were baptized; and 4 persons became communicants. There were 237 Esquimaux dwelling on our premises, 178 of whom are members of the congregation. Thus our dear brethren will perceive, that the Lord's blessing continues ORDINATION. OXFORD. WEDNESDAY, October 7, 1818, the Rev. Jenkin Thomas was ordained at Oxford as co-pastor with the Rev. James Hinton, over the Baptist church in that city. The Rev. J. Kershaw of Abingdon, commenced the services by reading the scriptures and prayer. The Rev. James Bicheno delivered a very judicious dissertation on the history and principles of the Protestant dissenters. Mr. Bartlett, |