stand to God as our Father-to Christ as our Redeemer, our Lord and Saviour and to the Holy Spirit as the immediate Author of our spiritual life; and of our salvation from under the deadly influence and dominion of sin. We shall, therefore, proceed to advert to these things briefly and particularly.

1. And first, with respect to our New Covenant relation to God as our Father, it is written, Matth. vi. 9. "When you pray, say, Our Father who art in heaven." Now this is the first time that the professing people are divinely and explicitly taught thus to address God. And be it observed, that it is by his only begotten Son, addressing his professed disciples, the acknowledged children of the New Covenant: Jer. xxxi. 34. "Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: -I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:---For they all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Wherefore it is to such only that it is divinely commanded so to pray; and therefore it is exclusively their privilege so to do; for as such they are exclusively begotten of God. John i. 12, 13; James i. 18; 1 John v. 1; Rom, xii. 13. "To as many as received him, he gave power to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."--"Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.""Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God."-"No man can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Spirit." Such are, therefore, exhorted to be followers-imitators of God, as "dear children;" and to "walk in love as Christ also loved them." And the Apostle to the Romans exhorts such for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, to co-operate with him for certain important purposes; thereby plainly alleging the paramount influence of these divine motives. And, indeed, what truly dutiful son is there, that is not supremely devoted to the will of his father while he abides in the family? Our Lord, who is the divinely appointed pattern of his people in this, as in all his other imitable perfections, gives us to understand, that it was his very meat and drink to do the will of his heavenly Father. It was his primary purpose-the sole, actuating, formative principle of his whole life, in this world, so to do. Moreover, though he was the only begotten of the Father, yet was he also his most devoted servant. Isai. xlii.; Luke xxii. 42; John xviii. 11; Phil. ii. 7; Heb. v. 8, 9. “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delights.""Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine: be done."-"The cup that my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?"-"Being in the form of God-he made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servanthe humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross."—"Though he was a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered: and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him." And what is his final, his comprehensive consummative command, to all that would partake with him in the enjoyment of his salvation? Is it not, "If any one wil

come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his crass, and follow me?" Matth. xvi. 24. And again, John xii. 26. "If any will serve me, let him fllow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.""If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him." 2 Tim. ii. The Captain of our salvation was made perfect through sufferings. Heb. ii. 10.

2. Hence our New Covenant relations to the Father, and to the Son, lay us under infinite and insuperable obligations to be, and to feel, intensely and entirely devoted to the love and obedience of both:-of the Father, for giving his son, his only begotten son, to suffer and die for our sins: of the Son, for his voluntary submission to inconceivable and tremendous sufferings for our salvation. Nor is there any embarrassing difficulty in adjusting those distinct claims of supreme and infinite obligation; for the economical and essential unity of the divine claimants completely obviate this: for he who loves, honors, and obeys the Son, in so doing honors and obeys the Father who sent him: whose final and consummative command to his children is, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." Matth. xvii. 5. For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son: that all should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father." John v. 22, 23.

3. Nor is our devotion and submission to the Holy Spirit, in his official dictations by the holy Apostles and Prophets, (who all spoke as they were moved by him,) less imperative and obligatory; or less consistent with our supreme love and absolute devotion to the Father, and to the Son, for he proceeds from both; being the authoritative messenger, and efficient agent of both;-our divine Regenerator, Tutor, and immediate Advocate; so that whoever rejects or blasphemes him in the execution of his new covenant office, rejects both the Father and the Son; and, of course-the enjoyment of the great salvation which they have provided. See John iii. 5; and xiv. 16; and xv. 26; and xvi. 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 15; Acts v. 32; Rom. viii. 9, 14, 16, 17, 26, 27; Gal. iv. 6; Eph. iv. 30; 1 Thess. v. 19; Heb. vi. 4; lsai. lxiii. 10. "Except a man be born of water and Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.""I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth.""When the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father-the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me.""I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you; and when he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all the truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you. All things that the Father has are mine."-"And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, which God has given to them that obey him." "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."-"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint

go

heirs with Christ."-"Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what to pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with inarticulate groanings. And he that searches the hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."-"And, because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father."-"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption."-"Quench not the Spirit."-"For it it impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, if they shall fall away, to renew them again to repentance."-"They rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit; therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."-"All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven to men."-"Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, ror in that which is to come.' Now realizing the whole of these premises, this new covenant revelation of the Divinity (as every intelligent Christian must necessary do) can any thing short of supreme love to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and entire self devotion to the divine will, possess the mind of such a believ er? Or, can a person, indeed, be a Christian at all, without this supreme love and devotion? Most certainly not: for without this state of mind he is not saved from his sins.-He loves something more than he does his heavenly Father, his gracious Saviour, his divine Regenerator and Sanetifier. There is something else he loves better-some others he would rather please. And can such a person be a Christian? The term Christian, is here taken in its proper scriptural sense-that is, "a new creature:" "for if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature."

4. Again-Does not our Lord in the close of his sermon on the mount, Matth. vii. 26., expressly declare, That every one who hears his sayings, and does them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:-That when the rains descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, it fell, and great was the fall of it? Now does not this show the indispensable necessity of being governed by his sayings-of reducing them all to practice, if we would enjoy his salvation? And what does he say in said discourse respecting the attributes of character that constitute the approved subjects of his kingdom? See Matthew, 5th chapter, from the 3d to the 17th verse. And what from the 21st verse to the end of said chapter-against gratuitous anger-reproachful language-living in a state of irreconciliation with an offended brother;-against cherishing impure desires-unlawfully di vorcing a wife;-using profane language-retaliation and revenge? And what-his injunctions to liberality in giving and lending.--to love our enemies-to pray for them that hate, despitefully use, and persecute us; that so we may be conformed to the example and will of our heavenly Father? And what in the 6th chapter-against religious ostentation in almsgiving, fasting, and prayer? And also against laying up treasures on earth-against an evil eye, or indulging in inconsistent views, attempting to serve two masters-God and Mammon? Also, against all manner of anxiety about the necessaries of life---and the preferring of any thing before the possession and enjoyment of the kingdom of God and his righteousness? And, in the 7th chapter-against presumptuous and rash judgment;-censuring and correcting a brother, while neglecting to correct and reform ourselves?---And what his gracious encouragements to importunity and perseverance in prayer:---to do to all, as we would have

them do to us:-to enter in at the strait gate, and to walk in the narrow way of self-denying obedience, as the only way to heaven, out of which no one can be his disciple? Yea, does he not expressly declare, that none can, or ever will, be acknowledged as his genuine followers, his true disciples, but only such as bring forth the good fruits of impartial universal obedience to all his precepts? See from the 21st verse to the end of the chapter.

But to follow this out, by a complete induction of all the particulars, enjoined and forbidden, would lead us to the investigation of every page to the end of the Book. This, however, is not our intention; and would be as impracticable to cur present limits, as it is unnecessary to our present purpose; which, in the mean time, is only to show the absolute and indispensable necessity of universal self-denying obedience, in order to the constitution of Christian character; and which, indeed, is but another name for personal holiness, or entire devotion to God. Now for this pur pose we think the scriptures above quoted are amply sufficient, though they fall far short of an express detail of the full amount of the Christian obedience which they comprehensively and virtually inculcate: the close and studious investigation of the whole Bible will be necessary to this.

Upon the whole, let it be duly observed and understood, that this intense and entire devotion, thus divinely inculcated, does not consist in the sensible excitement of the passions, nor in the impassioned exercise of the affections, excited to ecstacies by artificial means, addressed either to the imagination, or to the senses: but is the grave, serious, and sober effect, of the due scriptural conviction and consideration of the great fun. damental truths of the gospel; namely, the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, the remission of sins, the adoption of sons, the fellowship of the Spirit, the glorious resurrection, and the blissful immortality, which the blessed gospel presents to our faith and to our hope. For it is written, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who ever believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life....You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich; being in the form of God, the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power; yet for our sskes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins;---that we might receive the adoption of sons:---and because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba---Father. When Christ our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory--who shall change our vile bady, that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body. We know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him,-that we shall see him as he is.---And so we shall be ever with the Lord.-.-For he that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him, also freely give us all things.". -Now let us hear what is, and must be, the genuine devotional effect of the knowledge and belief of these blissful and glorious promises. See 2 Cor. v. 9, 14. We labor that we may be accepted of him. For the love of Christ constrains us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live to themselves, but to him, who died and rose again for them." Can any words be more expressive, or any sentiment more effective, of an entire self-devotion, than the above? Or is it possible that any thing else could be the effect of a real belief of the above premises?

THOMAS CAMPBELL.

SCEPTICISM.

LETTERS TO B

""

My dear Friend,

A SCEPTIC-No. IV.
WEST MIDDLETON, April 11th, 1839.

I PROCEED With your difficulties. The abuses and absurdities of the doctrine of mediation have occasioned more scepticism than the thing itself. The death of Christ is set forth by one party as a commercial transaction, in which an equivalent is paid for a certain number of the human race; and these are sure of salvation, whatever their characters may be. The only use of a good character, to this elect number, is as a present ground of assurance that they are of that number!! But another view of this subject, equally absurd, is the setting the death of Christ as a propitiatory sacrifice, to appease the wrath and stay the vengeance of an enraged Sovereign. To these absurdities I will devote a subsequent letter. But objections which originated in the perversion of the doctrine have been transferred to the thing itself; so it is now a common-place saying with Sceptics, "We can see no connexion between the sufferings of an innocent person and the guilt of a transgressor." I readily grant that this is a mystery-as, indeed, what is not? How little do we understand of all that is above us, below us, and around us! Yet this is a mystery with which we are exceedingly familiar. We live continually by mediation. Has a man unfortunately swallowed a deadly poison? a mediator is employed; a counter poison is interposed. Now I can see no connexion between the poison and the cure; yet I have sufficient evidence to assure me that such connexion actually exists. Again, we are sick: we call for a mediator; the restoratives of the healing art are interposed: but I cannot understand the connexion between the medicine and the disease; yet I know it exists. Again, we are hungry; and this hunger would soon destroy our lives: we require mediation; food is interposed, and its ravages are stayed, and its power broken; yet I cannot, by any means, see the connextion that exists between the hunger that I feel and the food that I eat. I am, however, perfectly satisfied that a connexion does somehow exist.

But it is farther objected that the death of this Mediator should be required in order that his mediation should be available to us. I will not say that I understand this either; yet I can say that every thing in nature, as respects us, is perfectly analogous! We are shelteredwe are clothed-we are fed with the spoils of death. Beasts have fo their shelter the pendant branches and the luxuriant foliage of the livin forest; for their couches they have earth's verdant carpet; and for their clothing they have a living mantle of wool, of fur, or glossy hair. But as for man, whether it respects his habitation, his couch, his food, or his clothing, he lives by death. I repeat it with emphasis, we live by death: yet a man may say, I can see no connexion between animal and vegetable death and human life. But sure are we that we can enjoy life in no other way. To conclude this point, it is as easy to conceive of moral poison as natural; it is as easy to conceive of mental as bodily disease; it is as easy to perceive the necessity of a physician in the 19*

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