Page images
PDF
EPUB

idea of revelation is very perplexing and "hard to be understood.”

In the first place, to reason with certainty, there can be but one Creator, and all other beings must be created. And it is unscriptural and unreasonable for the creature to worship and adore but one Creator, in whom alone dwells every possible perfection; not in connection with any other being equal in the like perfections. This unity in the divine Being is very particularly enjoined upon the Jews. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord." "Thou shalt have none other Gods before me." This language expressly declares the unity of the Divine Being; one Creator alone, and all other beings must be creatures. "What then think ye of Christ? Was he the Supreme Creator of the universe with all created beings, or was he a man? So says the Apostle Paul, "the man Christ Jesus." Was he a mere man in the ordinary course of nature? How then did he assume the august character of a Savior? a Redeemer ? Would he not in this case need salvation himself? Was he then the legitimate son of Joseph and Mary? How then did he silence the Jews upon this subject when they testified that he thus descended from the lineage of David. "He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, the Lord saith unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man, from that day forth, ask him any more questions."

What then do the scriptures say of Christ? "And so it is written, The first man Adam, was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression who is the figure of him that was

to come." It appears that St. Paul thought the Savior to be the man Christ Jesus." The second or last Adam-the first Adam a figure of him that was to come. The first Adam was representative of the earthly state. The second Adam was the head and representative of the spiritual or heavenly state. The first Adam was formed by the almighty power of God, his formation and being was commanded into life. The second Adam then which was the substance of the figure was the offspring of the same almighty power of God. Not begotten through the instrumentality of finite beings any more than was the first Adam, but in a different form. The first Adam was formed of the dust of the ground, and the breath of life was breathed into his nostrils and he became a living soul. The last Adam did not make his appearance in this way, but equally as mysterious and supernatural as the first Adam, as it is written, "And the angel answered and said unto her, (Mary) The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God."

It will no doubt appear satisfactory to the mind of every reader, that the coincidence of power exercised by the Supreme Being between the first Adam and the second, is very remarkable, with this difference only, the first was formed of the dust of the ground, and the last permitted by the same power to be born of a virgin. For without this miraculous conception of the latter there would not have been this remarkable resemblance between the first and the last Adam; or the figure and the substance. But as the deviation from the natural order of nature took place with the one, so also with the other.

Let us for a moment dwell upon the excellency of the one above that of the other. In the one we bear the

image of the earthy; in the other, the image of the heavenly. In the first Adam, all are reckoned to be dead, but in the last to be made alive. no eternal inheritance promised, inheritance is made sure to all.

In the former we have

but in the latter this So that, whereas we

lost all in the one, we find complete restitution in the other. For who will deny the total loss in the first Adam? If then, Christ is the last Adam, he must make complete restitution of all losses in the first, or the substance would bear no comparison to the figure. Or in other words, the substance would not balance the figure.

This reasoning must therefore be conclusive, that Christ was indeed the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world to take away the sin of the world. That man will not stand in everlasting rebellion against the kingdom of Christ; but he who is the head of every man, will in the dispensation and fulness of time subdue every man, and bring them into the subjection of his empire. That the universal spread of light will travel on, until the powers of darkness shall fall, and all captives to sin and death be delivered."Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory,"

E. V.

DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN PRAYERS AND SERMONS.

Having attended the Methodist Camp Meeting at Windsor, on one of the first days of last September, where many hundreds of people were assembled for worship or for curiosity, my mind was very much exercised while there with the consideration of the vast difference of sentiment contained in the sermons and prayers, which were offered by the preachers on the occasion. In the prayers there was but one sentiment expressed, viz. that sinners might be converted and saved, and the whole world were prayed for most fer

vently, (I will not say faithfully, for that would cause me to believe that they were not honest in preaching.) One of the first of the order (I will not call names) prayed to the Lord that the whole world of mankind might be saved, and then stopped short, and paused for a moment-then said, these, we are sensible, are great things we ask of thee, but thou art Almighty When this gentleman thus prayed, my soul was satisfied, I was convinced that it was according to the spirit and the word. But no sooner had he closed this benevolent prayer, than he commenced his sermon, in which, speaking of his fellowship for christians, he extended it to all but one sect, and this he did not name, tho there were very strong intimations that he meant the Universalists. Thus we see that the preacher fellowshipped all those as christians, who believed that his prayers would not be answered, but such as believed they would be, he disfellowshipped! O wretched logic, miserable consistency. And there was another gentleman who made a man of straw, and called his name Universalism, and he contended with him in the midst of all the congregation. He had a right so to do, but I thought it would have been far better if he had preached the gospel, for there was none converted, I am sure, in that sermon. To tell the whole truth in relation to this meeting, so much of it as I saw. I should say, that there was a studied evasion of all those scriptures which speak of the salvation of all men; and endless misery was preached as the one thing needful to be believed, in order to have the fellowship of Methodists!

In concluding these remarks, we would just inquire, is it proper to pray for the salvation of more than we believe will be saved? The Apostle says, "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." These remarks are made in the purest friendship, and I hope they will be so received and improved.

EDITOR.

LETTER TO A GRAND-PARENT.

Charlestown, June 17, 1826.

My honored and beloved grand-parent,

We are commanded to write you-that command we cheerfully obey in testimony of our ready submission and respect. No other avocation could arrest our time, which is now completely occupied in scenes of amusement. We will compose a few lines to address you, as you are very aged, and your grey hairs are coming down with sorrow to the grave. Therefore be ye always ready, for you know not the hour nor the day when you will be called from time to eternity. May your mind. be prepared for enjoyment, then shall your dying bed be soft, and the sweet angels of peace shall close your sleeping eyes. Virtue is the way to happiness, and all her paths are peace. Do not indulge a gloomy thought to possess your breast; but banish all such puerile visions from your mind. Let joy and hope animate you to industry and frugality, and may peace of mind sooth all the cares of life. We once hoped for the privilege of rocking for you the cradle of declining age; we are deprived of that privilege, but we pray you may never want a grand-child whose love and duty shall prove a source of consolation and comfort. Oh, may you continue to enjoy that felicity which is founded on domestic happiness through life; and may the blessings of the almighty God descend in love and mercy upon you forever. May domestic happiness, that blissful angel, continue to hover around you, and may your offsprings be the emblems of real virtue and goodness; may health be on your table; and when the last faint flashes of life's expiring lamp have quivered out their little moments, then may your disembodied spirit rise on the wings of immortality, and soar to the blest mansion from whence it came. May your virtues, like the golden chain of friendship, shine brighter the more they are worn. May health and wealth, blessing and honor, attend you

« PreviousContinue »