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the good of the Univerfe. We look forward, with delightful an'ticipation, to that important day when we shall meet together, and have amore holy and intimate communion with each other; when the charitable conduct of God's people will be more publicly inveftigated; and thoufands no doubt, through the inftrumentality of the liberal and pious, will know the pleafing import of thofe words of infpiration, "As alfo you have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye alfo are ours in the day of the Lord Jefus."

MISSIONARIES.

THE Rev. William F. Miller. lately returned from a miffion of four months to the northwestern part of Vermont, and the fettlements in New-York ftate, weft of Lake Champlain.

The miffionaries now in the fervice of the Miffionary Society of Connecticut, are Rev. Meffrs. Badger and Chapman in NewConnecticut, Willifton and Woodward in the western counties of New-York and northern counties

of Pennfylvania, and Willard and Leonard in Vermont.

POETRY.

COMMUNICATED AS ORIGINAL.

On reading particular accounts of Revivals of Religion in fundry places.

H Difpenting mercy where he will,
HOW pleafing to behold a God!
His providences and his word,
Agree and bid us all be still."

Be ftill and fee my arm made bare,
And fovereign grace in triumph ride;
For I the ftubborn hearts will tear,
And conquer finners full of pride.

'Tis heaven to fee this work of God, "Tis heaven indeed! replies my foul, To fee the Spirit with his word, The ftubborn infidel control.

To fee God's character made known,
And all his attributes difplay'd;
Juftice and truth: maintain his throne,
While mercy fhines without a fhade.

To fee the proudest finners bow,
Made willing by his power divine,
And at God's fovereign feet lie low,
And cheerfully to him refign.

This entertains the foul indeed,
It gives the mind a fweet repait,
A rich supply in time of need,
And fweet as honey to the taste."

Donations to the Miffionary Society of Connecticut.

William F. Miller, contributions in New Settlements,
A friend of Miffions,

A friend of Miffions of Norwich,

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THE

Connecticut Evangelical Magazine.

[PUBLISHED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS.]

VOL. II.]

TH

1

FEBRUARY, 1803.

The Church the fulness of Chrift,
who filleth all in all.
HE first chapter of the
epiftle to the Ephefians
ends with this fingular form of
expreffion, "The fulnefs of
him that filleth all in all."
These words in their connection
plainly import, that altho' Chrift
filleth all in all, yet there is a fenfe,
in which the church is his fulnefs.
This, at firft view, may feem a
kind of paradox, or fomething
like a contradiction. It is, there- |
fore proposed to attempt fome il-
luftration of the meaning, truth
and confiftency of these two prop
ofitions, viz.

I. Chrift filleth all in all.
II. His church is his fulness.
I. Chrift filleth all in all.
Jefus Chrift in his incarnate per-
fon," in whom dwelleth all the
fulness of the Godhead bodily,"
is exalted to the throne of the
univerfe, as Lord of all, with un-
controlable power and authority
over all worlds, creatures and
things; that he may rule and
govern, employ and difpofe of
all, to the glory of God and the
interefts of his eternal kingdom,
and fo as will in the best manner
VOL. III. No. 8.

[No. 8.

accomplish the complete falvation and everlasting glory and happi nefs of the church, which he hath purchafed with his own blood. In this high office and ftation, he fills all creatures with whatever, of the nature of good, they poffefs, experience or enjoy. There is no understanding, light or knowledge, wifdom, power or strength, holiness, peace or joy, in creaturės, nor any good poffeffed, attained, or enjoyed by them, but what is from him as its fountain and fource. But Chrift may be confidered as the head of his church, in a more peculiar and appropri atè fenfe. The church inclufive of all its members is reprefented, in the fcriptures, as conftituting one body, in allufion to and fomething after the fimilitude of a natural human body, compofed of many members united to each oth er and to one common head, by which they live, and move, &c. Of this body, compofed of all the members of the church, Chrift is the head. He is not only head. over all things to the church; but he is alfo the head of the body, the church, every member of which has a real spiritual union to him as Nn

its living, life-giving, fupporting, guiding, and governing head. May grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Chrift: from whom the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint fupplieth, according to the effectual working in the meafure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itfelf in love." Eph. iv. 15, 16. In the paffage we are attempting to explain, the apoftle appears to be fpeaking of Chrift in this fpecial and peculiar relation to and connection with the church as its head, and of that as his body. The all which Chrift, in this particular point of view and fpecial relation, is faid to fill, is his church, even all the members and parts of his body. All these he fills in all things and in all refpects belonging to and conftituting their fulnefs. Particularly,

and capacitated, to perform the fervices for which they are appointed and given, and to accomplish whatever he defigns to effect by their inftrumentality. This must be fo evident, to all acquainted with the fcriptures of the new teftament, that particular paffages need not be adduced to prove it.

2. Chrift fills not only the officers of his church, but also the whole body and every member of it, with all the light and grace, wisdom and knowledge, holiness and comfort, peace, joy and happinefs, which they poffefs, or experience and enjoy, in this world, and alfo in the world to come. Of his fulness they all receive, grace for grace. He faid, "I am the light of the world he that followeth me fhall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Having illuftrated the union of his difciples to him, by that of the branches to the vine, and declared how he had loved them, and taught them how they might abide in his love, he faid,

1. All the officers, with which the church is furnished and filled -all that are requifite and neceffary, for the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the min-"These things have I spoken uniftry, for edifying of the body of to you, that my joy might reChrift, are from him, and given main in you, and that your joy by him: Eph. iv. 7—13. "And might be full." At another time he gave fome apoftles; and fome he faid, "Afk, and ye shall reprophets; and fome evangelifts;ceive, that your joy may be full. and fome paftors and teachers; for the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the miniftry, for the edifying of the body of Chrift: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect inan, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift.”

All thofe officers Chrift fills with that measure of his fpirit, and with all the gifts and graces, knowledge, wifdom and fkill, and qualifications of every kind, by which they are fitted, furnished

-Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you." And in Acts xiii. 52. it is faid, "The difciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost." Hence it is plain, that Chrift's people are indebted to him for all their fpiritual light, peace and joythat thefe fpiritual bleffings are communicated and derived from him their head. Paul prayed for the Philippians, that they might be fincere, and without offence, "being filled with the fruits of righteoufnefs, which are by Jefus

P

Chrift, unto the glory and praife | nefs and righteoufnefs, glory and beauty, joy and happiness. For he is made unto them wisdom, and righteousness, and fanctification, and redemption. In the heaven

of God."-Alfo for the Coloffians, that they might be "filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual underItanding;" and for the Ephe-ly ftate, he will fo fill them, as

fians, that they might be " filled with all the fulness of God."

Thefe and fuchlike paffages help to fhow, in fome measure, what thofe things are, with which the members of Chrift's body are filled. They comprife all their light and knowledge and holinefs all the wisdom and fpiritual understanding, and gracious exercifes of their hearts, and all the fruits of righteoufnefs in their conversation and practice, and all their peace and comfort, joy and happiness. He gives them and caules them to drink of that water, which in them is a well of water fpringing up into everlasting life. He gives them his Holy Spirit, whofe fruits, with which they are filled in a measure now, and will be completely in due time, are love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentlenefs, goodnefs, faith, meeknefs, temperance," and every thing truly amiable and excellent, beautiful and comely, beneficial and cheering, joyous and happifying. He gives them, and will finally fill them, to the full, with the knowledge of God and Jefus Chrift, which is eternal life.

Thus Chrift, as the head of his body, the church, fills the whole body and all the parts and members of which it is compofed, in all things, and in all refpects, in which they may be faid to be filled, completed, and perfected. In him they are complete. In him they have all things neceffary to render them complete, to the extent of their capacities, in knowledge and wisdom, in holi

to give them unceasingly the moft complete and perfect fatisfaction. For there "the lamb himself shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters." There they shall walk in the light of the holy city, which the glory of God doth lighten, and of which the Lamb is the light : and there they will continually drink, to the full, of the pure river of water of life, clear as cryftal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb.

The way is now prepared, to confider and illuftrate the other general propofition, viz.

II. The church of Chrift, which is his body, the whole and all the members of which he fills in all things, is his fulness-"the fulness of him who filleth all in all."

How is this to be understood, or what doth it import and fignify? This propofition is not intended to fuggest, that Christ derives any fupplies, any support or affiftance from the church, to complete, to augment or increase his effential glory and happiness. His effential glory and happiness, as God, are the fame from everlasting to everlafting, without increafe or diminution.

But Chrift in his official character, and particularly and efpecially, in his peculiar relation to the church, as its head, would be incomplete without the church. A head fuppofes a body, and has fuch relation to and connection with it, that if the body is wanting, the head, though it be in itfelf whole and entire, is in a very

incomplete, imperfect and defect-
ive ftate. A natural human head,
though ever fo entire and com-
plete, doth not of itself conftitute
a man. To conftitute a complete
man, the head must have a body,
a body entire and complete in all
its parts, joined to it. And in
this view, the body is the fulness
of the head-its complement or
filling up, without which the
head would be in a deftitute and
incomplete ftate, incapable of the
offices, functions and enjoyments
appertaining to it as the head of
a body. In a fenfe fomewhat
analogous or fimilar to this, the
church, confidered as the body
of Chrift, is his fulness, confider-
ed as its head. If Christ, in him- |
felf confidered, was juft fuch a
perfon as he now is-juft as
great, wife and powerful, holy
and righteous, juft and good,
faithful and true, and his worthi.
nefs and merit the fame; yet if
he had no church, no body, in
the fenfe in which the church is
his body, and was never to have
any, it is plain, that he could nei-
ther perform the offices of a head
of fuch a body, nor partake of
the enjoyments.
In regard to
thefe there would be a total defi-
ciency, which could be fupplied
or filled up, only by the exiftence
of a body united to him as its head.
In this fenfe, the church, which
is Chrift's body, is the fulnefs of
him its head, who filleth all in all.
United to this body, Chrift is
in a fituation and hath opportuni-
ty, to perform all the offices of
the head, for which he is perfectly
fitted and furnished, and hath in
himself the moft perfect fufficien-
cy. And his fulness flows out
and is communicated to his body,
the church, and fills it with all
things neceffary to bring it to the
tate of a perfect man, unto the

| measure of the ftature of the fulnefs of Chrift, that it may want nothing, to render it complete and perfect in holiness and beauty, glory and happiness,

And in the church as his body, and in every part and member of it, made and kept alive, and fitted, furnished and capacitated, for fupplying the place, and perform ing the offices, and anfwering the ends, for which each is defigned in the body, and rendered holy and happy by union to and contant communications from him its head, he rejoices, and experiences peculiar pleasure and delight.

By the important truths, which have now been flated, and, it is hoped, in fome measure illuftrated, the following remarks are plainly fuggefted.

1. That by the conftitution, or formation and exiftence of the myftical fpiritual body, of which Chrift is the head, there is a great increase of real good and true happiness in the moral fyftem.

The members of this body are an innumerable multitude, out of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues. The perfect, everlafting holiness and happiness of all thefe will comprife an immenfe quantity of real good.— All this good is the fruit and confequence of the execution and accomplishment of the divine plan, whereby the myriads of individuals compofing this innumerable multitude, are conftituted and formed into one fpiritual body in union with Chrift its head. By this divine head, that filleth all in all, this infinite happiness is produced. From him it is communicated and derived. And by union to him and communion with him, and conftant communications from him, it is fupported and

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