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creature shall worship." The following sentences are from the seven authentic epistles of Ignatius, some of which are quoted by Dr. Lowell, and some not. "There is one physician, both fleshly and spiritual, made and not made, God incarnate, even Jesus Christ our Lord."-Referring to the sufferings and death of Christ, he says, "Permit me to imitate the passion of my God." "I glorify God, even Jesus Christ, who has given you such wisdom."-" Consider the times, and expect him who is above all time, eternal, invisible, though for our sakes made visible; impalpable and impassible, yet for us subjected to sufferings; enduring all manner of ways for our salvation."-"I wish you all happiness in our God Jesus Christ." This phrase, "our God Jesus Christ," and "Jesus Christ our God," is of frequent occurrence in these epistles of Ignatius. Not less than six or seven passages might be given, in which it occurs in nearly the same words.*

We do not quote these apostolic fathers as inspired; nor should we have quoted them at all, had not the example been set us by Dr. L. Their testimony, it will be seen, is in unison with that of Paul and John; and more explicit it need not be.

We infer from the Discourse before us, that Dr. L. does not agree in all points with the generality of modern Unitarians. It can be no objection in his mind to the doctrine of the Trinity, that in some points of view it is mysterious: for he speaks of the person of Christ as a thing unrevealed, "a mystery," which "the scanty line of human reason cannot fathom." Yet he undoubtedly believes that there was, and is, such a person as Jesus Christ. We learn also from the Sermon, and from other sources, that Dr. L. is a believer in the atonement of Christ. He speaks of him as having "humbled himself that, by his obedience and death, he might make propitiation for the sins of mankind."-We are farther informed, that Dr. L. dissents from most Unitarians, in admitting what they denounce as the horrible doctrine of endless punishment.

Whether there are other points in which he differs from them, and agrees with us, we know not, nor are we concerned to know. But we are concerned to see him, and some few others who agree with him, who would be thought to hold a sort of evangelical Unitarianism, bestowing their countenance and fellowship upon those, who have discarded well nigh every vestige of evangelical truth. And if it could be thought likely to do them any good, we would even expostulate with these more serious Unitarians, on what we are constrained to think the inconsistency of their conduct. They must know, as well as we do, to what lengths many, whom they call their brethren, have departed from the faith once delivered to the saints. For they hear them discarding the atonement of Christ; denying the future and endless punishment of the wicked; and rejecting, in the common acceptation of the terms,

"Polycarp," says Dr. Lowell," was a disciple of St. John." "Ignatius was a contemporary of Polycarp, and probably a disciple of the apostles."

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the plenary inspiration of the holy Scriptures. And still will Dr. L., and those who agree with him, exchange pulpits with such men, and assist at their ordinations, and extend to them the right hand of fellowship? Will they thus declare, before the world, and in the most solemn acts of religion, that they regard these as good ministers, who believe and love the truth, who will direct sinners to Christ, and guide them to heaven? To the persons here addressed we must be allowed to say-in perfect friendship certainly, and with the most tender concern for the welfare of themselves and their people-that we deem this a very serious. business, and we doubt not they will find it so at another day. How can they do anything to discountenance, for instance, the doctrine of universal salvation, while they hold fellowship with those who believe, and (as far as they dare) teach, this ruinous doctrine? How can they do anything to check the progress of infidelity even, while they hold fellowship with those who speak of the holy Scriptures, in the manner we have quoted in a previous note? We do therefore most affectionately and earnestly entreat them, by the blood of Calvary, by the worth of souls, and by all the precious interests of eternity, to pause where they are; to descend no further in this downward path; to come out from the congregation of those who reject what they regard as most important truth; and to return to the faith of their Pilgrim fathers—to the faith of the reformers-to the faith of the apostles and early martyrs of Jesus.

*If any wish to know in what estimation leading Unitarians now hold the Scriptures, we need only refer them to some late numbers of the Christian Examiner. From what purports to be a Review of Professor Stuart's Commentary on the Hebrews, in the number for Jan. and Feb. 1828, written, as it is understood. by a distinguished Professor in Harvard University, we extract the following sentences; and whatever other part of our work is neglected, we do earnestly hope that these sentences will be read and pondered.

"We must recollect that the words of Christ were reported from memory by the evangelists, and NOT ALWAYS WITH PERFECT ACCURACY. This is evident from the fact, that in recording the same discourse or saying, the first three evangelists differ from each other, not unfrequently as to the words themselves, and occasionally also as to the SENSE and BEARING. Now all the evangelists, being themselves allegorists"-which term the writer defines to mean those who quote the Scriptures in "imaginary, secondary senses" which are "in their nature arbitrary and fanciful” —"ALL the evangelists being," in this sense," allegorists, it would not have been strange, if unconsciously, and through INADVERTENCE, they had given an allegorical turn to words, which were used by our Saviour only by way of application."

"The reasoning of St. Paul will not always bear a philosophical scrutiny.”

Of the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, this writer says, " His reasoning cannot be regarded as of ANY FORCE, by an intelligent reader of the present day. It is difficult so far to accommodate our minds to the conceptions and principles of the author and his cotemporaries, as to perceive how it was adapted to produce any effect at the time when it was written. It is founded, for the most part, upon the Old Testament; but not upon the language of the Old Testament taken in its obvious sense, and interpreted upon common principles. On the contrary, the writer"-an allegorist, like "all the evange lists"—" deduces from its words hidden and mystical senses, and strange and unfounded inferences, which he adapts to his purpose."

It hardly need be said, after what we have quoted, that this writer rejects the whole epistle to the Hebrews, regarding it as not entitled to a place in the Bible.

We doubt whether anything can be quoted from Priestley or Belsham more palpably inconsistent with the inspiration of the Scriptures, than the sentences which have here been given.

SELECTIONS.

SERMONS, BY THE LATE REV. EDWARD PAYSON, D. D. Pastor of the Second Church in Portland.

Few men have lived more beloved, or died more lamented by the people of God, than the late Dr. Payson. He was regarded, while on earth, as an invaluable treasure to the church; and when taken from us, although we almost saw him ascend like the prophet in a chariot of fire-such was the glory of his closing scene-still, we could not but mourn his departure. We knew we had no reason to mourn for him, but in the gain of the church above, and in his everlasting gain, we felt that the church on earth had sustained a heavy loss. Knowing, as we did, the high estimation in which Dr. Payson was held during life, we could not but feel a degree of solicitude, when we heard announced a volume of his posthumous sermons. We feared it might happen to him, as in some instances it has to others, where the inconsiderate attachment of friends has prompted them to do that which was afterwards regretted. But, having perused the volume before us, our solicitude on this subject is at an end. The well earned reputation of its author is safe, and more than this need not be said for him.

These Sermons are characterized by directness, plainness, and unaffected earnestness. Occasionally they exhibit a reach of thought, a grandeur of conception, and a force and propriety of illustration, which are highly pleasing. The style, to us, is often beautiful, not because it is specially smooth, or highly ornamented, but because it is the natural expression of weighty thoughts, and of strong and holy feelings. The writer is evidently full of his subject, and his only object is to present and enforce it, and make it impressive and profitable to his hearers. In perusing these Sermons, we cannot doubt that we are listening to a holy man. We seem to ourselves to breathe a new and highly refreshing spiritual atmosphere. And it is impossible for the Christian to read more than a few pages, anywhere, without finding himself in a very serious frame of mind—without finding his heart warmed, and his soul enlarged, and himself spiritually strengthened and profitted.

We have solicited, and still hope to receive, a formal review of these Sermons, from an intimate acquaintance and friend of the deceased author. In the meantime, we have thought it our duty to bring the volume, while yet retaining the freshness of novelty, before the public, and give a number of extracts from it, for the double purpose of edifying our readers, and of promoting its circulation. We could wish it might lie on the writing desk of every minister of the Gospel, to be frequently pondered that its spirit might be caught, during the composition of his sermons. We hope it may find its way into the parlors of the rich, and the cottages of the poor, to admonish both these classes that mere earthly distinctions are of little consequence and of short duration, being soon to be levelled in the grave, and merged in one sweeping distinction of character, as it presents itself to the view of God. And could it meet the eyes of the thoughtless and unbelieving, who live after the course of this evil world, and laugh at the idea of hell, it could hardly fail to arouse in such, at least for a moment, a smothered conscience, and to startle them with the unVOL. I.

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welcome suggestion, that the Bible may in truth reveal, and the invisible world ere long disclose, more terrible things, than have ever been dreamed of in their philosophy.

Our first extract is from the Sermon entitled, "Our Sins Infinite in Number and Enormity."

"If we wish to know the number of our sins, we must look first, and chiefly, at the feelings and dispositions of our hearts. And if we do thus look at them, we shall be convinced, in a moment, that our sins are numberless. Every moment of our waking existence, in which we do not love God with all our hearts, we sin; for this constant and perfect love to God his law requires. Every moment, in which we do not love our neighbor as ourselves, we sin; for this also we are commanded to do. Every moment, in which we do not exercise repentance, we sin; for repentance is one of the first duties required of us. Every moment, in which we do not exercise faith in Christ, we sin; for the constant exercise of faith the Gospel everywhere requires. When we do not set our affections on things above, we sin; for on these we are required to place them. When we are not constantly influenced by the fear of God, we sin; for we are commanded to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long. When we do not rejoice in God, we sin; for the precept is, Rejoice in the Lord always. When we are not properly affected by the contents of God's word, we sin; for this want of feeling indicates hardness of heart, one of the worst of sins. When we do not forgive and love our enemies, we sin; for this Christ requires of us. In a word, whenever our hearts are not in a perfectly holy frame, we are sinning; for God's language is, Be ye holy, for I am holy; be perfect, as your father in heaven is perfect. And if we thus sin, when we do not exercise right feelings, much more do we sin, when we exercise those that are wrong. When we are dissatisfied with any part of God's word, or with any of his providential dispensations; when we feel a disposition to murmur at our situation, at our disappointments and afflictions, at the weather, or the seasons, we sin; for these are the heartrisings of rebellion against God, and they render it impossible for us to say sincerely, Thy will be done. When we hate any one, we sin; for he that hateth his brother, is a murderer. When we feel a revengeful, or unforgiving temper, we sin; for if we forgive not our enemies, God will not forgive us. When we secretly rejoice in the calamities of others, we sin; for he that is glad at calamities, shall not go unpunished; and God is said to be displeased with those, who rejoice when their enemy falls. When we envy such as are above us, we sin; for envyings are mentioned among the sinful works of the flesh. When we covet any thing, that is our neighbor's, we sin; for this is expressly forbidden by the tenth commandment. When we love the world, we sin; for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.— But I forbear to enlarge; for who, that knows anything of himself, will deny, that the wickedness of his heart is great, and its iniquities numberless?"

The following extract is from a previous Sermon, but on a similar subject.

"What a disclosure is made, when, with the dissecting knife of a spiritual anatomist, we lay open the human heart, with all its dark recesses, and intricate windings, and expose the lurking abominations, which it conceals, not to the light of day, but to the light of heaven? My hearers, even in this sinful world, the spectacle which such a disclosure would exhibit could not be borne. The man, whose heart should thus be laid open to public view, would be banished from society; nay, he would himself fly from it, overwhelmed with shame and confusion. Of this every man is sensible, and, therefore, conceals his heart from all eyes with jealous care. Every man is conscious of many thoughts and feelings, which he would be ashamed to express to his most intimate friend. Even those profligate, abandoned wretches, who glory in foaming out their own shame, and whose mouths, like an open sepulchre, breathe out moral contagion, putrefaction, and death, scarcely dare utter to their own equally abandoned associates every thought and feeling which rises within them. And if this is the fact, if the heart, laid open to view, would appear thus black in this dark sinful world; who can describe or conceive of the blackness which it must exhibit, when surrounded by the dazzling whiteness of heaven, and seen in the light of God's presence, the light of his holiness and glory? How do proud, self-exalting thoughts appear, when viewed in the presence of Him, before whom all the nations of the earth are less than nothing and vanity? How do self-will, impatience, and discontent with the allotments of providence appear, when viewed as exercised before the throne of the infinite, eternal, universal Sovereign. How do angry, envious, revengeful feelings appear in the eyes of the God of love, and in those regions of love, where, since the expulsion of the rebel angels, not one such feeling has ever been exercised? How do wanton, impure thoughts appear-but we cannot pursue the loathsome, sickening enumeration. Surely, if all the evil thoughts and wrong feelings which have passed in countless numbers through either of our hearts, were poured out in heaven, angels would stand aghast at the sight, and all their benevolence would scarcely prevent them from exclaiming in holy indignation, Away with him to the abode of his kindred spirits in the abyss! To the omniscient God alone would the sight not be surprising. He knows, and he alone knows, what is in the heart of man; and what he knows of it he has described in brief, but in terribly expressive terms. The hearts of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their hearts. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."

From the Sermon entitled, "Recollections of God painful to the Wicked," we give the following.

"If our hearts or consciences condemn us, it is impossible to remember God without being troubled. It will then be painful to remember that he is our Creator and Benefactor; for the remembrance will be attended with a consciousness of base ingratitude.

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