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forth, and ftill going forth into all the world; as the battle of the great God is doubtlefs begun, and will be ftill more dreadfully fought, we may expect times of great danger, perplexity and trouble for ourfelves and the church of God. Great circumfpection, fortitude, zeal, patience and felf-denial will be of the higheft neceffity. The language of our Lord to the church

es, at this period, is, " Behold

I come as a thief: bleffed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, left he walk naked, and they fee his fhame."+

perfect harmony and love, worship. him who fitteth on the throne and the Lamb for ever and ever!

NOTE. It is obferved in the preceding piece that no minifter has died in this fate the left year. Since the piece was written the Rev. NATHANIEL TAYLOR of New

Milford terminated his earthly course.

On the dodrine of the Holy Trinity.

T

HERE are fome who pro

fefs to believe, that there is a God, who yet will deny, that there are, in him, three perfons, equal in effence and glory. There are feveral paffages in the old teftament, which point out a plurality of perfons in the Godhead; but this truth, of the facred Trinity, is very plainly and evidently expreff ed to 'as in the new teftament. Matthew xxviii. 19. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft." 2 Corinth. xiii. 14. "The grace of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghoft, be with you all. Amen." 1 John v. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost :and thefe three are one." They are not three Gods: Reafon and revelation affure us, that there is but one true God. Shall we or any man fay, that there is in the Godhead but one perfon, that is the Father; when in that text we are exprefsly affured, that there are three, and that these three are one; that is, in effence or in nature and effential perfections the fame? Shall we, who know fo little of our own being, particular

To conclude, we ask your acceptance of our united and grateful acknowledgements for the encouragement and fupport you have given to this magazine. Senfible of the immenfe worth of your prefent and future happiness, with great defire and affection, we wish you a happy NEW YEAR. May it indeed be a year of bleffings to you and your families. Efpecially may your fouls be in health and profper. We intreat you to join your prayers with ours, that it may be a year of reviving and refrefhment to all our churches; a year of bleffings to the United States, and to the whole world. Our days are fwifter than a poft, fwifter than the rapid flight of the eagle. Soon fhall we be gathered unto our fathers. Before another century our children, and the greateft part of theis will be gathered, with us, to the congregation of the dead. O'may we and they fo live and die, as that we may obtain a meeting in that glorious world, where fin, and death, and time thall be no more! There may we enjoy God, our blessed Redeemer, the holy an-ly of the union of our bodies and gels, one another, and the whole fouls; and who are daily furroun church of the first born, and with ded with fo many myfteries in the world of nature, which though we muft acknowledge they are incom

Rev. xvi. 15.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CON-
NECTICUT EVANGELICAL MAG-

AZINE.

GENTLEMEN,

THE manufcript which accompanies thefe lines, was completed in its prefent form five or fix months ago. It was written in a

under which I have languished many years. It is therefore reafona. ble to expect, that judicious readers will difcover in it plain

prehenfible by us, yet we do not pretend to difpute againft, but readily own their reality; fhall we prefume to difpute againft and deny the doctrine of the facred Trinity, because it contains a myflery incomprehenfible by us? Let us know of a certainty, that we are under facred and indifpenfable obitate of great bodily weakness, ligatio to believe and profefs what is fo exprefsly revealed and teftified to us, in the word of God, as this truth is; however much it tranfcends our capacity of compre-marks of that imbecility of mind, hending it. Men cannot endure which is the natural effect of to have their word difcredited, re- a reduced and extremely low jected, and vilified; and fhall we ftate of health. On this account, think that God, who hath magni- as well as fome others, I have fied his word above all his name, doubted whether it would be best wili eafily pafs by the offence of to offer it for publication in the our disbelieving and denying the Evangelical Magazine. But betruth of his teftimony, given ing now reduced fo low, that it us in his word, concerning this don't appear probable, that I fhall matter, because it contains a myf- ever be able to do any thing more tery in it that we are not able to or better, towards leaving a pubcomprehend and fathom? Accor- lic teftimony in favor of that gloding to that, why may we not dif-rious gofpel, which is fundamental believe and reject the most funda- to the fupport of my heart in mental truths of religion, and the the near profpect of death and very being of God? For, "who eternity, I have concluded to fub. by fearching can find out the Al-mit it to your perufal, with libermighty unto perfection?" Let us ty to publifh it if you think proper. ferioufly take heed, left we, who I muft, however, requeft and exknow fo little of our own being, pect, that you will return the and that of other finite, limited manufcript, in cafe you should not things, be guilty of vile and finful direct it to be inferted in the Magneglect and difrefpect to the tefti- azine; as I have no legible copy mony, given us in the word, of of it, and wifh if it should not be the being of the infinite God, by printed, to leave it with my childifbelieving and denying this doc- dren. trine of the holy Trinity; because it contains in it a myftery, unfearchable and incomprehenfible by us.

PHILALETHES.

The GOSPEL a Doctrine according to Godliness, illuftrated in a feries of numbers, adapted for infertion in a periodical publication.

remem

Praying that you may have all needful affiftance from the great Head of the church, and great fuccefs in your important undertaking, and requesting a brance in your prayers, I fubscribe myself your cordial friend and fellow-fervant in the gospel, SAMUEL CAMP.

Ridgbury, Nov. 15, 1800.

The Gospel a doctrine according to
Godliness.

NUMBER I.

N the third verfe of the fixth

| mife, that the principles or opinions, which men entertain, have great influence on their conduct, and even on their internal exercifes, tempers and affections. The Pa

I chapter of Paul's fault epiltle gan, who believes the exiftence of

and to act accordingly. The Roman Catholic, who believes the popish de&trine of indulgences, will naturally feel, as though he might fafely commit the fins, for which he hath purchased an indulgence, and of courfe, commit them.

to Timothy, is this expreffion, a number of deities, of different "The doctrine which is according ranks, and fome of them intriguing, to godlinefs." And by the pre-paflionare and revengful, luftful ceding context it appears, that and deceitful, may naturally be exby this expreffion he intended the pected to indulge and cherish feelfame which he called the do ineings, correfpondent to these ideas, of God-the doctrine contained in his preaching and inftructions, and in the wholefome words of our Lord Jefus Chrift-that is, the doctrine of the gofpel, delivered by Chrift and his apolles. Hence it appears, that, in Paul's opinion, the gospel preached by Chrift and his apoftles, is a doc- If the gospel, either exprefsly, trine according to godlincfs-that or by juft and fair conftruction, the whole conftitution or fyftem of diffolves the obligations, or lefthe gofpel, inclufive of all its doc-fens the motives to holiness, or trines, precepts and inftitutions, gives a licence, or holds forth enpromifes and threatnings, is not on-couragement to neglect religion, ly confiftent with, but calculated and indulge to vice and wickedness, and tends to promote real godli- it would feem as though it could nefs-true piety, in heart and life.not be a doctrine according to godOf this highly important truth, linefs. But if the contrary to all fome illuftration will be attempted. this is the real truth, and that, in With this view, it may be proper a high degree; it must then be ackto obferve, in general, that godlinefs nowledged, that the gospel is inIs only a different name for holi-deed a doctrine according to godnefs, which confills in all right dif-linefs, and well adapted to propofitions or affections towards all beings, and their proper expreffons in words and actions.

Godliness comprifes all piety towards God, and juftice and mercy towards men, with all the genuine exercises and expreflions, effects and fruits thereof, in heart and life. The godly man is dif pofed to treat all beings, God and creatures, with proper refpect, to render to all their due, and to contribute all in his power, to the glory of God, and to the happiness of his fellow-creatures. It may be proper, further, to pre

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mote it. That this is really the cafe, will, I truft, appear, with undeniable evidence, from the following particulars, viz.

I. From a view of the character of God, which the gospel exhibits, it appears to be a doctrine according to godlinefs. Whilft wrong notions of God tend to enthufiafm, fuperftition and idolatry; juft ideas concerning him, tend to piety in heart and life.

The character of God prefented to view in the gofpel, is inexpreffibly more amiable and glorious, excellent and perfect, than any,

of which the mind of man was ever able to form an idea, from any other fource ; and proportionably, better fuited to promote real piety.

termined, that his love of righteoufness, and infinite hatred of fin, fhall clearly appear, and be fully expreffed, by his condu&-by his adminiftration. At the fame time, Chrift, by affirming that he he is fo infinitely benevolent and came not to deftroy the law or the wife, gracious and merciful, that prophets, and he and his apoftles, he is difpofed, and knows how, by frequently citing and appealing and is able, to provide and lay a to the fcriptures of the Old-Tefta- foundation for, and actually to acment, have made thofe fcriptures complish, the recovery, forgiveness, a part of their teftimony, and af- and eternal falvation of finners, in ferted the authority of thofe an- a perfect confiftency with fupporting cient writings, as a revelation from the authority and honor of his lawGod. Therefore, the Character with being and appearing to be infiof God, which arifes to view from nitely holy and juft-with holding the whole of the fcriptures, in- fin in infinite abhorrence, and bearcluding the Old-Teftament as welling infinite teftimony against it in as the New, may juftly be confid- his conduct. ered as the character of God exhibited in the gofpel preached by Chrift and his apoftles, or in their doctrine.

He is difpofed and ready to receive into favor, the returning penitent, thro' Jefus Chrift-to give him his holy fpirit, to be in him, like a well of water, fpringing up into everlafting life-to guide him by his counfel, whilft here, and afterwards, to receive him to glory; and as fully determined to dif

God, according to the doctrine of Chrift and his apoftles-according to the account and reprefentations of his character, exhibited in the fcriptures, is an eternal being, exifting from everlafting to ever-play his dreadful wrath, in the just lafting-independent and felf-ex- punishment of the finally wicked. iftent, almighty, omniprefent and and ungodly. omnifcient, the fearcher of hearts, That fuch is the character of infinitely pure and holy-the only God, according to the doctrine of wife-impartially and infinitely just the gofpel, will be evident to eveand righteous, and inviolably faith-ry attentive, honeft-hearted, and ful and true, and infinitely good, intelligent reader and fearcher of gracious and merciful-the creator the fcriptures. How undeniably and preferver, and fupreme Lord evident is it, then, that the gofpel and rightful fovereign of the uni- doth, in this particular, contain a verfe- the fountain and fource doctrine according to godliness? and comprehenfion of being and How great is the tendency of fuch of all good. ideas of God, to inspire the heart of him who entertains them, and believes them to be according to truth, with the most folemn reverence and awe of God with refpect and efteem-to reftrain him from fin, and to excite him to love, and fear, and ferve the Lord-to return to him thro' Jefus Chrift,

According to the doctrine of the gofpel, as exhibited in the preach ing of Chrift and his apoftles, and in the whole of divine revelation, God is pleafed with righteoufnefs, and difpleafed with iniquity-loves the righteous and hates the wicked, and is difpofed and unalterably de

254 Sin neceffarily leads to mifery in this world and the next. [Jax.

and to enquire diligently after the knowledge of his will, and carefully to obey it!

[To be continued.]

government.
t.-He now presents
them an opportunity for finful pleaf-
ures, that it may be known they
prefer these to the delights of ferv-
ing him; and that they prefer the

Sin neceffarily leads to mifery in this pleasures of earth to the joys of

I

world and the next.

(Continued from page 209.)

Heaven. But on this part of the fubject we ought to confider, not only that God hath said, they shall be taken away from these pleasures ;but also that the courfe of nature is removing them continually to their long home, where there will be no object, for finful delight. If men, in their departure, could car

T was the defign of this paper to illuftrate from fundry confiderations in the exifting nature of things, of the rational mind, and of focial relations, the certainty that thofe who leave the world, in an unholy ftate, and without fuchry with them the objects of their qualifications as are required in the gofpel of Chrift, must go to a state of mifery. "The end of thefe things is death."

This hath been already illuftrated from the nature of fin, and from the impoffibility that an unholy and unrenewed finner can be happy, in going to the holy prefence and place of God.

fenfual and unholy gratifications, and poffefs and ufe them in another world as they do here, they might poffibly be happy there, in the fame manner that they be here; but death will remove them from all these things.-The body, which is the inftrument of fenfual intercourfe, muft go down unto the grave. Their farms and their merchandize their honors, their offices, their poffeffions, and every

But perhaps it may be objected, that unholy men do now find many pleafures, altho' their fupreme de-thing, in which they appear molt light be not in the fervice of God and the duties of religion; and therefore they may hope to efcape that perfect mifery which the fcriptures threaten.-I make no doubt but unholy men often plead this to themselves, as an excufe for quietnefs in an evil way. It is the fame

to delight, must be left here.Their amufements will remain to divert thofe, whom they leave to fill the places, which are emptied on earth by their departure. And all these things, which are now their idols, we are affured shall be confumed at the fecond coming of the fon of man.-Where can upholy men, where can the unrenewed find their pleasures and their delights, after they are remo

as one of the facred writers mentions" because sentence against an evil work is not executed fpeedily, therefore the hearts of the children of men are fet in them to do evil."-ved from this world? The course But they ought to confider, that although they are now exempted from the extreme of punishment, this is no evidence that it will always be the cafe. They are now in a state of trial. God is treating them in fuch a manner that it may be feen they do not chufe him, nor his prefence, nor his law and

of nature is removing them to their end, and "the end of thefe things is death." The imagination which they have, because the unfanctified are not now overtaken with punishment, that they never will be, is altogether founded in ignorance-it is the illufion of a deceived heart, and the courfe of

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