lieveth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life?” Has every individual who desired to find salvation been taught what Paul and Silas taught the trembling jailor, BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED? *

We have put these inquiries, because for many reasons we fear, not merely, that the character of Christ and redemption by his blood have been very inadequately inculcated by this class of Ministers, but also because some of their expressions seem to mean, that " to believe in Christ," though required of all in the Apostolic days, is not to be enjoined on all of the present generation. But as to advance such a suggestion without evidence may expose us to the suspicion of designing to excite odium against those to whom we refer, it is desirable to show on what authority we make it.

The Rev. C. G. Finney, in his Lecture entitled, "Direc tions to Sinners," says,-"I. It is generally in point and a safe and suitable direction to tell sinners to repent. I say generally, for sometimes the Spirit of God seems not so much to direct the sinner's attention to his own sins, as to some other thing. In the days of the Apostles the minds of the people seem to have been agitated mainly on the question whether Jesus was the true Messiah. And so the Apostles directed much of their instructions to this point, to prove that He was the Christ. And whenever anxious sinners asked them what they must do, they most commonly exhorted them to "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ." They bore down on this point because here was where the Spirit of God was striving with them, and this was the subject, that especially agitated people's minds, and consequently this would be the first thing a person would do on submitting to God. It was the grand point at issue between God and the Jew and the Gentile of those days, whether

* It has been observed, that the species of Unitarianism, which is inculcated by those, who call themselves Christ-ians is easily introduced and readily adopted in various places in the State of New-York. In our opinion it would be clearly unjust to charge any of the preachers referred to in this article with either holding or inculcating it. But it is not improbable that their failure to preach the character of Christ and redemption by His blood, with other kindred doctrines in due time and proportion, has prepared the public mind for its reception. It is well known, that the Unitarianism of Massachusetts was immediately preceded by Árminian

Jesus was the Son of God. It was the point in dispute; to bring the sinner to yield this controverted question was the way most effectually to humble him. "At other times it will be found that the Spirit of God is dealing with sinners chiefly in reference to their own souls." *

Here we cannot but stop and inquire, is this the way in which the modern Advocates of " Moral suasion" dispose of the duty enjoined in the numerous class of passages, which require men to "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?" That this was the "point at issue between God and the Jew and Gentile" in Apostolic days we freely admit; and we moreover affirm, that it is the point at issue between Him and every impenitent individual on the face of the earth, to whom the word of God has come. But have the Author and his associates proceeded on the assumption, that generally some other direction than "to believe in Christ" is sufficient to bring men to salvation? Have they ventured to intimate to their disciples, that to refuse Christ is not "their own sin?" And how can this intimation be consistent with the passage in which Christ says respecting the Holy Spirit," and when He is come He will reprove the world of sin because they believe not on me?" And when an individual has come to them and inquired, what duty is demanded of me in those passages, which command men to "believe in Christ," is he taught, that they relate almost exclusively to Jews and Gentiles eighteen hundred years ago? With anxiety we put these inquiries, because we cannot see what other practical conclusion can be derived from such instruction as that which we have now quoted. And if sinners, however thoroughly convinced of their sin, are not led to the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world, if they are not taught to believe in Christ and thus build on the "Rock of ages," it is "it not wonderful that after their supposed conversion they turn right back again into conformity to the world, and become, at least the great body of them," a disgrace to religion?

The next direction given to sinners in this Lecture is to "believe the Gospel." Here we expected to find an explicit declaration of the nature of EVANGELICAL FAITH.

* Lectures on Revivals, p. 337.

Here

is the place for an exposition of those passages, which require men to "believe in Christ." But neither its peculiar nature, nor even its objects are stated. Not one word is said of reliance on Christ as an Almighty Saviour, or on his righteousness and death for our redemption and justification, or on his power to keep his saints from falling, and to present them spotless before the throne of his glory. The whole subject is compressed into the general declaration, that "it is just that confidence in Christ which leads him," (the sinner) "to act on what he says as a certain fact." If evangelical faith respect Christ merely as a prophet or a “lawgiver and a ruler," this definition would perhaps be an adequate one. But its field is vastly more extensive. It respects his whole character and work and sufferings, with all the glorious ends to be accomplished by them. It includes the temper and exercises of mind corresponding with each of those blessed attitudes in which the Saviour is presented in the word of God. It will indeed lead men to act, whenever action is required. But this is only one amongst its numerous results. Joy and hope, and many other states of the affections, are the fruit of faith. This is intimated by Peter where in describing the regard of his brethren for Christ, he says, "whom having not seen, ye love." "In whom though now ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." Thus this definition is inadequate to convey a full conception of evangelical faith. On this subject as well as on all others, which pertain to Christ and the way of salvation through him, there is in the class of writings now under consideration, a mournful deficiency in comparison with those of the Apostles, and of the men of all subsequent periods, in which there has been a permanent advance in religion. It would be unjust to leave room even for a suspicion that those to whom we now refer, have either rejected, or are disposed to reject from their creed the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ, or of redemption by his blood, or of justification through him, but it is evident that in their preaching and publications they have not given them a place and prominence corresponding with their relation to human salvation, to Apostolic example and to the usage of those in past ages, whose instrumentality has been honoured in producing permanent reformations among men.

But Christ declares himself to be the way, the truth and the life. And if he be not adequately preached, is it strange that men wander from the way, misunderstand the truth, and fail of Eternal Life?

ART. V. THOUGHTS ON THE MODE OF PRODUCING MORAL
RESULTS.

By Rev. JOSEPH ALDEN, A. M., Professor of Rhetoric and Political Economy in
Williams College.

THE principles of the gospel were fully revealed in Apostolic times; the application of those principles to human conduct has been gradual. We are struck with wonder when we trace the slow progress of this application. Not long since the wisest and best supposed that the gospel sanctioned persecution for opinion's sake, and the traffic in human flesh and ardent spirits. We may therefore reasonably conclude that a still more extended and nice application of these principles may yet be made-nay, we know this must be the case before the whole man shall be brought into conformity to the will of Christ, and the whole world converted to God.

In the physical world, nothing can be accomplished but through obedience to physical laws. Whatever view we may take of these laws, whether we regard them as the stated mode of the Divine operation, or whether we adopt the theory of communicated power, it matters not-the fact is plain that we have power over the forms of matter only as we obey its laws. If these are disregarded, efforts zealous, vigorous, and untiring, may be made, but all in vain. If a water-wheel be constructed without regard to the laws of hydrostatics, it will answer no good purpose. Much strength is wasted, and much discouragement experienced through ignorance of, or inattention to these laws: discouragemant, it is worthy of remark, is proportioned to the amount, not the quality of unsuccessful effort. By quality we mean, wisdom or folly.

The laws of the physical world are discoverable by rea

son, and he who refuses to put forth the effort necessary to discover them, deserves to meet with disappointment and defeat.

There is a world far more interesting and important than the physical, one for which the physical was made; viz., the moral world. We have reason to believe that the laws of the latter are as fixed and unvarying as the laws of the former. If it is important that men should know what to depend on in matter, it is surely as important that they should know what to depend on in morals. It will not, we think, be disputed that God is uniform and unvarying in all his operations and his laws, the case of miracles excepted.

Now if we wish to produce effects in the moral world, must we not obey its laws? Shall we not otherwise be powerless? Will efforts (however vigorous) put forth without regard to these laws, be any more likely to be successful than similar efforts in the physical world? Surely not.

These laws are made known by divine revelation, and by study of the human mind, and he who refuses to make himself acquainted with them, deserves to meet with disappointment and defeat.

The general truth above stated is readily admitted; still there rests a vague impression on the minds of many, that sincere endeavours to produce moral effects are successful, though said efforts be not made in strict accordance with the laws of the moral system. For instance, they suppose that success sometimes attends sincere though ill-judged and imperfect efforts for the conversion of men (ill-judged and imperfect, because not strictly in accordance with the moral laws or principles laid down in the Bible); they suppose that God sometimes blesses such efforts, and renders them successful, receiving the good intention of the agents as an equivalent for adherence to the laws. If this be the fact, if God blesses and renders successful, that which is not in accordance with the laws of the moral system-i. e., that which is wrong, is it not a departure from his established mode of operations, and so far a miracle, and a miracle wrought in confirmation of errour and wrong doing! And can this be supposed?

But it will be said, our conclusion does not agree with facts. It is affirmed by some that moral effects are seen to result from efforts confessedly injudicious, and to some extent, at least, wrong. To this we answer, granting that such