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And this he can only know by its fruits. Many of the early professors of Christianity erred, in thinking that they knew God and believed in him, while their lives declared the contrary. But St. John exposes and confutes this error in his First Epistle, where he says, "Hereby we do know that we know God, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know God, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God;"" and we know that whosoever is born of God, sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." And in his Third Epistle he thus sums up the whole matter of faith and works: He that doeth good, is of God; but he that doeth evil, hath not seen God."

Thus does St. John shew that a right knowledge of God, and faith in him, produce good works. And the view of the subject which he has given us, is fully confirmed by what Christ himself has taught us. "He that believeth on the Son," says our blessed Saviour, hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth in me, Hath everlasting life." Now since He that believes in Christ has ever lasting life, it thence follows that he must also be fruitful in good works, and obedient to the commandinents of God. For to those who continue to do evil, and who lead their lives in disobedience and transgression, belongs, if they die impenitent, not everlasting life, but everlasting death, as Christ himself hath assured us.

Having thus shewn that no one should fiatter himself that he possesses true Christian faith, when he does not live in obedience to God's laws, and in submission to his will, it seems necessary to add, that

a man may easily deceive him self in this matter. He may in dulge a notion, that by faith he knows God, loves him, fears him and belongs to him, when, in truth he does nothing less. The trial of all these things is a godly and Christian life. He who feels that his great aim in life is to advance the honour of God, who labours to know the will of God, and to frame his conduct according to it; who loves not to indulge the desires of the flesh, and to serve sin and Satan, but is fully purposed to serve God, and for his sake to love all mankind, whether they are friends or enemies, and to do them good as he has opportunity: such a man may well rejoice in God, perceiving, as he must, by the tenor of his life, that he really possesses a right knowledge of God, and a lively and unfeigned faith. But he who refuses to submit his neck to the yoke of God's law, and lives impenitently, following his own sensual inclinations, without any desire to know or to practise the will of God; such a man, if he think that he either knows God, loves him, fears him, or trusts in him, clearly deceives himself; he is a stranger the faith of the Gospel.

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But, to apply the subject. There are some who fancy, that, because they regularly attend church, and use the language and mix in the society of the children of God, that they therefore belong to God, al though, at the same time, they live in sin. But St. John says plainly, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth."

Others vainly think that they know and love God, though they pay no regard to his commandments, and even consider themselves as freed from the obligation to obey them. But St. John has told.us-expressly,He that saith, I know God, and keepeth hot his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

Some, again, falsely persuade

themselves that they love God, while they shew no love to their neighbour. But St. John has assured us, "If a man say, I love God, and bateth his brother, be is a liar. Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."

Deceive not yourselves, therefore, by thinking that you truly believe the Gospel, that you possess true Christian faith, while you live in sin; for your ungodly and sinful life infallibly proves the contrary, whatever you may say or think. Our everlasting happiness depends on our having true Christian faith: it is therefore incumbent on us to ascertain whether we have it or no. Let us, therefore, try and examine ourselves, and not assume, on light grounds, that we possess true faith; but scrutinize the fruits which appear in our hearts and lives, in our temper, affections, and conduct, and thence judge of the genuineness of our faith. The tree is known by its fruit. Let us, then, by the good works which we do, prove our faith to be the true Christian faith. Let us, by those graces which ought to spring from faith, shew our election to be sure and stable, as St. Peter has taught us: "Endeavour yourselves to make your calling and election certain, by good works," and, "Besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love:" so shall we shew that we have within us a living Christian faith, and may both assure our own consciences and satisfy other men that we are tight. But if these fruits do not spring from our faith, we do by our profession but mock God, and deteve ourselves and others. We may in that case bear the name of Mistians, but we want the true ath which stamps the Christian, and distinguishes him from other Nen. Our works must be an open

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evidence of our faith; otherwise, our faith, being without good works, is but the faith of devils; a mere notional, and not a true Christian faith. And as neither the devils, nor the openly wicked and profane, derive any advantage from their false and dead faith, which tends rather to increase their condemnation: so likewise will it be in the case of those professing Christians, who, though they have received the knowledge both of God and of the merits of Christ, nevertheless lead an idle, inactive life, without good works, under the vain idea that a barren faith will save them; or who have their affections fixed on the world, and its perishing objects, and do not bring forth the fruits which belong to their high profession. Such presumptuous persons and wilful sinners are liable to the vengeance of God, and to that eternal punishment in hell which is prepared for the openly wicked and profane. You, therefore, who profess the name of Christ, be exhorted. to permit no such notion of faith to beguile you to your ruin, but be sure of your faith: try it by your life; examine the fruits which it produces; mark whether it serves to enlarge your love to God and man, and cause you to abound in the work of the Lord; that you may know whether it be a true, lively faith, or not. If you are conscious, on good grounds, that you possess such a faith, rejoice in it, and be diligent to maintain it. Let it be daily strengthened and increased by holy activity; so may you be confident that you shall please God, and at length, as other faithful men have been before, shall you, when he sees fit, be taken to himself, there to "receive the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." Amen.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. I BELIEVE it is usual in most places (at least it has been so in most of those which have fallen under my

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own observation), when any child is to be baptized on the Sunday, to defer the ceremony till after the service, when most, if not all,who are not personally concerned, have left the church. Now this is certainly not the right mode of procedure. It is very clear from the Rubrick prefixed to the office for the Public Baptism of Infants, that our church intends as many persons as may be to be present, and even positively directs that the rite of baptism should be administered" immediately after the last lesson" at either morning or evening service. But, independently of this direction, let the matter be calmly considered, and I think there cannot exist a doubt as to the utility of performing the ceremony in a full congregation. The first reason given by our church for requiring it viz. the expediency of publicity (" as well for that the congregation there present may testify the receiving of them that are newly baptized into the number of Christ's church "), is certainly not without its weight. The second is more important-viz. "that every man present may be put in remembrance of his own profession made to God in his baptism" -and is likely to have such good effects, at least on serious minds, that it is surprising it does not forcibly impress itself on every clergyman, and overcome his fear of keeping his congregation too long in church. But there is another consideration, and one that would operate on my mind more forcibly than either of the others: it is this; that, by having the child baptized in a full congregation, the prayers of all the pious part of it are procured. And is this nothing? "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man," we are told, "availeth much;" and surely we may hope, that, in every congregation, there are some such, who would with pleasure perform an act like this of Christian charity. Were I a parent, Mr. Editor, who wished to see my chikl grow up from his early

years in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, I would bring him into a full church to be baptized. Were I a sponsor, who wished to fulfil the duties of the charge which I then took upon myself, I should think this the best means that could be employed at that tender age, and equally incumbent on me with my own prayers, for his growth in religion. And were I a minister, who was anxious for the welfare of my flock, I should think the adminis tration of the sacrament at that time one of the best methods I could use for the benefit of the rising generation. But I have another complaint to make, the subject of which is intimately connected with what I have been speaking of hitherto ; and it is this, that many, who join in the other parts of the service, with propriety as well as devotion, continue in the same posture from the time that the minister leaves the desk, to officiate at the font, till the ceremony is concluded; and, however their minds may be employed, do not certainly shew by their bodies that they feel them. selves very much interested in what is going forward. I am inclined to think, that this is a relic of that con. formity to the world, which is too observable amongst many Christians; that they continue the prac tice at first, through a dread of singularity, and that thus a habit is imperceptibly acquired, which they are scarcely able at last to trace up to its original source. But, whatever be its cause in individuals, the practice appears to me to be blameable; for if the ceremony is to be attended to at all by the rest of the congregation (and no devout Christian can, I think, entertain a doubt of this), the arguments for worshipping with the body, as well as with the heart, which apply to other devotional services, apply with equal force to the present case.

If you judge these cursory remarks worthy a place in your work, they may perhaps induce some persons to consider this subject more atten

tively than formerly, and may be the means of leading them to juster conceptions with respect to it.

HANO.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. You inserted, in your last number, some observations with which I troubled you respecting the diversity of opinions in religion. Fearing lest my paper should afford encouragement to Scepticism, I went on to shew that we need not despair of attaining to religious truth; and I promised to point out, in a succeeding communication, some of the means of acquiring the possession of it. I now proceed with my discussion.

There are two principal modes, by no means incompatible with each other, in which religious truth is to be sought the one, prayer to the Father of Lights; the other, the diligent and unprejudiced use of that reason and common sense with which God has endowed us. It is important not to disjoin these two; for God, as I apprehend, has no more promised to guide that man by his grace who allows every faculty to lie dormant, than he has engaged to introduce those to the truth who aim to arrive at it by the unassisted and unsanctified exercise of their natural understanding. The one of these classes of men the Almighty often leaves to the pride of their own hearts; the other he, in his no less just judgment, allows to be the sport of enthusiasm.

The Scriptures are the great depository of religious truth; and therefore both our prayer and diligence should be employed in endeavouring to deduce it from that source. Our supplication should be, that God would bless to us his own word, not that he should miraculously convey to our minds any new revelation; and our diligence should be exerted in endeavouring to discover the true meaning of the Sacred Writings, and the right application of them to our own ca

under the existing circumstances. We should be extremely careful to adopt a right system of interpretation. The mode of construing them ought, as. I conceive, to be exactly that which we should agree to follow in the case of any other book, written in the same period of the world, abounding with similar idioms, and translated into our own language after the same manner. The simple, obvious, and natural sense, which is to be judged of partly by the context, is unquestionably the true signification. Doubtful texts are to be explained by the aid of those which are more clear; and the few passages in which obscurity remains, are not to be rested upon as deciding points of great importance. Truths, plainly, frequently, and variously inculcated, are to be deemed of superior moment; and those doctrines which sustain each other ought to be considered as deriving confirmation from this circumstance. Care should be taken not to employ those texts, for the establishment even of important points, which were not intended for that purpose. In no sense should we attempt to be "wise above what is written." We should be neither more nor less doctrinal, neither more nor less practical, neither more nor less moral, neither more nor less spiritual, than Holy Writ. We should not attempt to improve upon Christ and his apostles, and should guard against an inventive spirit. We should adopt their types, their sacraments, their mysteries; but we should be cautious how we multiply these, or extend the meaning of their terms. We should, generally speaking, be plain, simple, and natural, in our theology, as they were; without, however, professing to be always literal or verbal. The language which they used was evidently popular, and all popular language freely allows the use of metaphor. It was not of that measured kind which is employed by a philosopher speaking to philosophers, but was eminently distinguished by the

warmth and glow which become a person addressing himself to a mix ed and common audience, and speak ing from the heart. I cannot help suspecting, Mr. Editor, that, if we would all agree to construe the Scriptures in this spirit, our theological disputes would shrink into a moch narrower compass, and the difficulty of attaining to the truth would exceedingly abate.

Seriousness is also necessary in the discovery of religious truth The Greeks and Romans were evi dently not serious in respect to their theology. The fabrication of it had been chiefly the work of their poets, a light and fanciful class of men; the people with equal levity adopted the superstitions which the versifiers had supplied; and they associated it with many of the amusements of life. The Israelites, when they worshipped their golden calf, sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. But the God of the Chris tians is a jealous God. Inquiries into his character and attributes are not to be conducted without sacred awe. The Gospel is a serious thing, Death, judgment, eternity, heaven, and hell, are serious subjects; and whatsoever investigation has any bearing on our everlasting condition, ought to be pursued with great so demnity. Christianity is to be in quired into, not merely with that sort of gravity which befits all the more important subjects of human contemplation: it not only ought never to be treated with levity; it is to be contemplated with a seriousness quite peculiar to itself.

The search after religious truth must also be made with perseverance. The Almighty is said, in one part of Scripture, to be a God that hideth himself; and our Saviour, when upon earth, repelled for a time some of those inquirers who "approached him. It seems to be a part of the plan of the Almighty to put our sincerity to the test, in the first part of our religious progress, by allowing difficulties to obstruct our way. An Apocryphal writer, speak

ing of Wisdom, says, "At first she will walk with him in crooked ways, and will bring fear and dread upon him, until she tire his soul. Then will she walk with him by the right way, and comfort him, and shew him her secrets.” "Then shall ye know," says the apostle, "if ye follow on to know the Lord." " For the path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more to the perfect day." Our religious course is a course of successive dis coveries: it is a state of continual progress: and it is thus made pleasant to us; for our confidence increases as our feet advance. Let those, who are now perplexed with doubts and fears, bear this encouraging circumstance in their mind. A pious writer has compared the dimness which for a time prevails in many minds, to that kind of morning mist which betokens a peculiar. ly bright and glorious day. Many, doubtless, have experienced great darkness for a time, who have afterwards enjoyed the steady light of the Gospel. After sowing in tears, they have, even in this world, reaped with joy; and in proportion to their early perplexity and distress, they have eventually abounded in consolation: but these are they who have persevered; who have determined to seek until they found; who have prayed and not fainted.

Lastly, this important inquiry should be pursued with all imparti ality. The diversities in the religion of professing Christians arise not so much from any difficulty in the subject, or obscurity in the sacred writings, as from the different complexions of men's minds, and the great variety of their circumstances. “Man,” said a writer lately deceased, "is a bundle of habits." Man is ao a bundle of prejudices. Lord Bacon has distri boted the prejudices of mankind into four heads; and it may be convenient to adopt, in this place, the classification which he has supplied. He has given to our prejudices the quaint term of idols, or false appear

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