"The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, make you perfect. To HIM [God] be glory and dominion forever and ever. v. 10. "He (Christ) received from GOD THE FATHER honor and glory, when there came such a voice from the excellent glory, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.'" 2 Pet. i. 17.

These are all the words and phrases, we believe, that can be found in the epistles of Peter, from which anything can be inferred as to his opinions concerning the great question at issue between us and Trinitarians. Few, however, as they are, they afford abundant evidence to convince us that he was a unitarian writer. It is remarkable how he uniformly distinguishes between Christ and God. The language he uses, when speaking of Jehovah, is strikingly different from that which he employs in reference to our Saviour. The former he calls "Lord God," "Faithful Creator," and the like; but never the latter. He says, "God the Father," but in no instance, God the Son. He speaks of the "will of God," as supreme; of "a good conscience towards God," &c.; but refrains from such expressions respecting Christ. In a word, he seems, almost without exception, when making mention of our Saviour, to use language with that sort of caution, which we might imagine an intelligent and thorough Unitarian would employ, who was apprehensive that his writings were sometime to be searched for trinitarian proof-texts. We conclude with a single remark. Let it be supposed that the apostle Peter had said, even in a single instance, (what he has never

done either expressly or impliedly,) that our Saviour was a partaker of a DIVINE NATURE, which he actually has affirmed of Christians in his second epistle, (1 Peter i. 4,) with what triumph would it not be now seized on by Trinitarians as an argument for the supreme divinity of Jesus Christ, incomparably stronger than what can be found for the support of that doctrine in all the productions that remain to us of this, or of any other writer of the New Testament.

B.

LIFE OF PRAYER.

"PRAY, without ceasing." This is the constant language of religion. Give yourself to prayer. Let your whole life be influenced and controlled by its spirit, Our experience assures us that this call of our religion upon us is exactly what we need, if we would live so as to accomplish the great objects of our existence. It assures us that we can never hope to acquire any strength of character, or to make any progress in holiness and the spiritual life without strict, persevering habits of prayer.

The necessity for a life of prayer is founded in our very natures. If we observe how these are constituted, we shall perceive that they are not simple, but compound, made up of an animal part and a spiritual part, thus standing midway between creatures of earth and creatures of heaven, belonging to neither entirely, but connected in part with both. We shall perceive that this union

of earthly and heavenly, of animal and spiritual, in the same person, makes inevitable that perpetual struggle between the higher and lower parts of our nature, which is called in scripture "the war in the members," and which constitutes the great trial of our lives. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these two are contrary, the one to the other." The contest is not indeed commenced in very early life. The spiritual part is not then developed; and the animal propensities are not then excessive. The struggle for dominion begins not until the opposing forces are fairly in the field. Then it commences; and alas, in most cases, how soon it is terminated by the complete triumph of the earthly over the heavenly. How often does "the carnal mind, which is enmity against God," secure a fatal and perpetual ascendancy in the character, while the spiritual and divine principle in the soul lies crushed and dead, with scarcely a chance apparent of its being ever revived.

Prayer, and prayer alone, can enable us to be victorious in this warfare. The spiritual against the animal in human nature is the weak against the strong. There is a fearful odds in the contest. Nothing less than the gracious aids of the divine spirit can carry the heavenly principle successfully through it; and these aids can be obtained only by prayer----anxious, earnest prayer. The spiritual part of our natures is no match for the animal part; it is in itself weak; or, to drop this mode of speaking and bring the subject closer home, we are, in ourselves, weak, morally inefficient,

incapable, by our own unassisted efforts, of arriving at that virtue, which yet, by the help of God, may be achieved; and which, because it is thus attainable, is justly expected and required of us.

God will require nothing of us which he gives us not ability to perform. Unquestionably, when rightly understood, this is a great and important truth; but, as it may be, and often is understood, it is an untrue and dangerous maxim. When taken to mean that God will demand of us no higher attainments in goodness, no greater selfconquest and no steadier self-control, than, relying solely on our native strength, we may arrive at,---it is an untrue and a dangerous maxim. It is untrue;---because, if, by directing our hearts habitually to God in anxious prayer, we may find a vast increase of energy to our souls, it is perfectly just that we should be held accountable for whatever degrees of perfection this divine aid would enable us to reach. Our heavenly Father, by promising always to hear and assist us, upon our properly imploring his aid, has given us a claim, a right, a property in his inexhaustable stores of grace and strength. In Jesus he has provided for us a never failing fountain of living waters,---holy influences,-which a genuine prayerful spirit may cause to spring up in our souls, and to impart to our poor native faculties a divine life and energy. Surely, the helps which by the goodness of God are thus secured to us, so that we have only to seek in order to find them, and to ask in order to receive them, creates as real an enlargement of our responsibility, as the possession of any faculties and powers at all creates respon

sibility at first. To say therefore that our Creator and Judge will demand no more of us than at our birth he gives us power to perform, is not a just nor a true statement of the case; and, as a rule of life, it is not only untrue, but dangerous. For, besides depriving our prayers of all their spirit and efficacy, it must result in making us satisfied, at least not uneasy with ourselves, as having done all that will be required of us, even while conscience daily reproaches us with low and degrading desires and indulgences. What is to prevent this effect upon us, if we permit such low views of duty to influence us?

But prayer is essential to our natures, not only as it may strengthen with a divine energy their better but weaker part, but as it will aid us to carry them on to those higher degrees of perfection in holiness which will fit them for heaven,---and the happiness of heaven.

Heaven is a spiritual state; the happiness of it is such as spiritual beings alone can enjoy. We are spiritual beings, at least we have a spiritual part. This part in us is to be the seat of heavenly happiness, if we ever attain it. This part is entrusted to our keeping ;-a fearful charge; since on its being purified from all moral defilement, on its being kept sanctified and holy, on its coming to live by faith, not by sight,---that is, on its coming to be influenced by inward convictions and not by outward objects,---on its rising above sensual delights, acquiring a relish for the satisfactions which pure and holy beings enjoy, must depend its capacity for heavenly happiness, its fitness for the presence of God. It is a fearful charge. It would be enough to sink us in de