not hope to gain any distinguished fully accommodating himself to elevation in the world, and must be content to live and die in obscurity. But if he belongs to a great body, of extensive power and influence, he can hope through their assistance, to rise to eminence. And all the power and influence and character of that body may be considered as in some sense his own, since he is one of them. And in proportion as he is zealously devoted to the honor and interests of that body, he may expect they will have an eye to his honor and interests and as he contributes to the advancement of his associates, he may expect them also to contribute to his. Every one must see, therefore, the great advantage of belonging to this denomination, as it regards his prospects of rising in the world. The private professor, who adopts Anythingarian sentiments, possesses one great advantage over those of any other denomination. He can more easily establish and maintain the reputation of uncommon and distinguished piety; and especially with those whose acquaintance with him is but superficial. By making this his object and keeping it steadily in view, and becoming "all things to all men," in the sense and to the extent which his principles teach; by abounding in religious small talk, and being careful in mixed companies to say nothing of a decided character; by studying the principles and feelings of those with whom he converses, and care their views and prejudices, so as to make them pleased with themselves, and think he is pleased with them; by appearing to agree with them in those things which they regard as most important, and not very strenuous in those things in which he differs from them; by appearing to embrace them cordially in his fellowship, and to think quite as favorably of their religious character and sentiments as of his own; by pursuing this method, he may render himself very agreeable to all sorts of people, and gain the reputation of having an uncommon share of good feeling, and of being an eminent example of piety, charity and catholicism. And if any whose acquaintance is more intimate, should ever suggest a doubt whether he is not the best man in the world, it will be at once interpreted to the disadvantage of him who makes the suggestion, and it would be better for him to hold his peace, or join in the general commendation. The minister who adopts Any. thingarian sentiments, will find it much easier to get along in the world. If he has only common talents, he can soon become a great man. If he becomes "all things to all men," in the sense which these sentiments teach, he must needs be very popular. And as to his preaching, that, of course will be accommodated to the taste of his hearers. If they are Anythingarians too, it will be very ea He can easily get recommended as a useful assistant at such a time. And when he is introduced, as he can scarcely fail of being, let him visit from house to house, and attend meetings with great diligence and zeal. Let him carefully/study the views and feelings of the various sorts of people, and accommodate himself to every one according to the distinguishing principles of his sect. Let him now and then drop y to please them. And if it excitement. should happen that a part of them are decided and rigid in their adherence to orthodox sentiments, he can so temper his discourses as to introduce many orthodox terms, which will make them think he is correct in his sentiments; and in private he can so converse with them as to render that impression deeper; while, by only introducing orthodox terms, and never explaining them, or if he should think some professed explanations a hint, where he thinks it will necessary, by giving very general ones, which every hearer may interpret according to his own views, he will never offend those who are not orthodox. They will even be quite willing to hear the orthodox doctrines so preached. In this manner he will gain the esteem and confidence of all classes, and thus secure to himself a good name for keeping people together and building up society; and what is of some consequence too, he will secure a comfortable support to himself and family, and not be exposed, as the rigidly orthodox minister frequently is, to be driven about from place to place, an object of pity and of scorn. And if the young preaher who adopts Anythingarian sentiments does not readily find a good vacancy in which to settle himself comfortably, perhaps, by putting his sentiments in practice, he can make one. Let him look out for some place which has an older minister of orthodox sentiments, and where there is some religious do, that he is better acquainted with the management of a revival than their minister is; and let him often tell in public, how many revivals he has seen, and how well he understands them. Let him direct all his efforts to produce a general excitement of feeling, and to raise it to the highest pitch; and just at this crisis, let him privately urge the minister to preach the doctrine of election, as the best means at this moment, to produce a powerful effect, and greatly promote the work; and tell him how it has been done to great advantage by this, that, and the other minister, during great revivals in their societies. As an orthodox man he may be very probably inclined to do it; and if he should not, advantage can be afterwards taken of his neglecting to follow this good advice. But if he should, the point desired will most probably be gained. A violent opposition will be excited on the part of the impenitent whose attention And by is so far roused as to make them feel and hate the truth. a little management some of the church members may probably be induced to join in that opposition. Now let the young preacher, in conversation with all such, speak much of the danger of having that doctrine preached at such a time, as being likely to discourage sinners, grieve the Spirit, and stop the revival; and let him lament that the minister should be so imprudent, at such a critical time, and express his fears that the revival will stop. By the opposition and confusion which may be thus created, it is not unlikely that the excitement may be greatly diminished, and finally cease, and the minister be charged with destroying the revival. And it is quite likely that all this may occasion his dismission, and make way for the settlement of the young man in his place. Or if he should happen to get so far involved in the difficulty as to have no prospect of obtaining the place for himself, he may obtain it for some friend, who has been doing the same good turn for him elsewhere. In short, the advantages to be obtained by adopting Anythingarian sentiments are so many and so great, and at the same time so obvious to persons of any acquaintance with the world, that there cannot remain a doubt, I should think, but that this denomination must increase, and be the prevailing denomination. And young • In being always easy? 'Yes,' replied the old man, I can teach you my secret, and with great facility-it consists in nothing more than making a right use of my eyes.' His friend begged him to explain himself. 'Most willingly,' returned the Bishop. whatsoever state I am, I first of all look up to heaven, and I remember my principal business here is to get there: I then look down upon the earth, and call to mind how small a space I shall occupy in it, when I come to be interred; I then look abroad into the world, and observe what multitudes there are, who are in all respects more unhappy than myself. Thus I learn where true happiness is placed, where all our cares must end, and how very little reason I have to repine or complain.' ORDINATIONS. January 6, Rev. Charles White was ordained in Thetford, Vt. as colleague with Rev. Dr. Burton. Sermon by Rev. Dr. Tyler, President of Dartmouth College. January 9, Rev. Alexander Young was ordained over the the New South Church and Society, Boston. Sermon by Rev. John G. Palfrey. January 20, Rev. John D. Peirce, a graduate of Brown University, was ordained over the Congregational Church and Society, in Sangerfield, N. Y.Sermon by Rev. William R. Weeks, of Paris. Nomos is just received.. THE CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE. VOL. II. Messrs. Editors, MARCH, 1825. JOHN, VIII. 54.—It is my Father that honoreth me, of whom ye say that he is your God. Christ is here speaking to the Jews, who were, according to the flesh, the children of Abraham, and who, all along in the preceding context, claim their peculiar relation to that ancient and eminent patriarch. When therefore he tells them in the text, that He whom they called their God, was his Father, he means to assert, that his Father was the God of Abraham. His assertion is too plain to be misunderstood. Accordingly, I propose, in the present discourse, to make it appear, No. 3. That the God of Abraham was the Father of Christ. The God of Abram was the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, who was afterward called Israel. Ishall, therefore, indiscriminately use the phrases, the God of Abra. ham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Israel, to signify the God of the Old Testament.— Having premised this, I proceed to establish the truth of the general observation, that the God of Abraham was the Father of Christ. And this will appear, if we consider, 1. What Christ himself has said upon the subject. But in order to understand what he has said upon it, we must carry it in our minds, that he was by birth a Jew, of the seed of Abraham, and was brought up and lived among the Jews, the seed of Abraham; and therefore, that when he speaks of God, he means the same Supreme Being, whom the Jews called God, their God, or the God of Abraham. This single observation will serve to fix the meaning of all those texts in which he speaks of his Father, and determine, that if he ever means by his Father, the God of : heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh to me." By God in the first clause of this verse is to be understood the God of Abraham; and the same God, Christ calls the Father, by which he claims the God of Abraham as his Father. And the Jews always understood him to mean, that he claimed their God as his Father; which extremely exasperated them and led them to put him to death as a blasphemer. Christ having said, "I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them. Many good works have II shewed you from my Father, for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy, and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." They said this, because he claimed their God as his Father. Christ represented himself to be the Son of the God of Abaraham, who was the God of Israel by what he said to the buyers and sellers in the temple. Abraham, he always means the same God,by the same appellation. Now it is very evident, that Christ sometimes means the God of Abraham, by the phrase, his Father.We have a plain instance of this, in his conversation with the Jews, related in the verses preceding the text. "Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on him; If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. They answered him, we be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man. Jesus said, I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. speak that which I have seen with my Father and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. Then said they to him, we have one father, even God. Jesus said unto them, if God were your Father, ye would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God." Here Christ explains whom he meant by his Father, even him, whom the Jews called their Father and God. In the sixth chapter of John, Christ says, "No man can come to me, except the Father who sent me draw him." And, this he proves in the next verse, by a quotation out of the prophets. "It is written in the prophets :-And they shall be all taught of God.— Every man therefore that hath "Take these things hence: make not my Father's house an house of merchandize." The temple was acknowledged to be consecrated and devoted to the worship of the God of Israel; and therefore was, in a peculiar and appropriate sense, the house of the God of Israel. Christ did, therefore, indirectly, but plainly, call the God of Israel, who was the God of Abraham, his Father. 2. It appears that the God of |