nence. 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 emiAnd 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 Anythingarian 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 y to please them. And if it excitement. He can easily get should happen that a part of them recommended as a useful assistare decided and rigid in their ad- ant at such a time. And when he herence to orthodox sentiments, is introduced, as he can scarcely he can so temper his discourses as fail of being, let him visit from to introduce many orthodox terms, house to house, and attend meetwhich will make them think he is ings with great diligence and zeal. correct in his sentiments; and Let him carefully study the views in private he can so converse with and feelings of the various sorts them as to render that impression of people, and accommodate himdeeper; while, by only introduc- self to every one according to the ing orthodox terms, and never ex- distinguishing principles of his plaining them, or if he should sect. Let him now and then drop 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 is so far roused as to make them feel and hate the truth. And by 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 oc thus created, it is not unlikely that the excitement may be greatly diminished, and finally cease, and the minister be charged with de. stroying the revival. And it is quite likely that all this may casion 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 Extracted from a scarce and valua ble publication. There was an Italian Bishop who had struggled through great dificulties without repining, and who met with much opposition in the discharge of his Episcopal functions without betraying the least impatience. An intimate 'In friend of his, who highly admired those virtues which he thought it impossible to imitate, one day asked the prelate if he could communicate the secret of 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.' *** Nomos is just received.. THE CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE. VOL. II. Messrs. Editors, MARCH, 1825. I noticed in your number for February, this question, " Is God, who so often spoke to Abraham and the prophets, and who, throughout the Old Testament, is spoken of as the Creator of the world, Christ in his official capacity or God the Father?" If you think the following discourse will throw any light on the important subject of the above mentioned question, you are at liberty to insert it in your Magazine. N. S. 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. I shall, 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 Abraham, he always means the heard, and hath learned of the same God,by the same appellation. Father, cometh to me." By God Now it is very evident, that Christ in the first clause of this verse is sometimes means the God of Abra- to be understood the God of Abraham, by the phrase, his Father.- ham; and the same God, Christ We have a plain instance of this, calls the Father, by which he in his conversation with the Jews, claims the God of Abraham as his related in the verses preceding Father. And the Jews always unthe text. "Then said Jesus to derstood him to mean, that he those Jews who believed on him; claimed their God as his Father; If ye continue in my word, then which extremely exasperated them are ye my disciples indeed. They and led them to put him to death answered him, we be Abraham's as a blasphemer. Christ having seed, and were never in bondage said, "I and my Father are one. to any man. Jesus said, I know Then the Jews took up stones athat ye are Abraham's seed; but gain to stone him. Jesus answerye seek to kill me, because my ed them. Many good works have word hath no place in you. I I shewed you from my Father, for speak that which I have seen with which of those works do ye stone my Father: and ye do that which me? The Jews answered him, sayye have seen with your father.- ing, For a good work we stone They answered and said unto him, thee not; but for blasphemy, and Abraham is our father. Jesus saith because that thou, being a man, unto them, If ye were Abraham's makest thyself God." They said children, ye would do the works this, because he claimed their of Abraham. Then said they to God as his Father. Christ reprehim, we have one father, even sented 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 tem God. Jesus said unto them, if "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 |