many paffages in the bible. Lord faid to his difciples, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; but to them, (the multitude) it is not given.' Mysteries are fecrets, which none can understand, but fuch as are particularly inftructed into them, and according to our Lord, none but his difciples have this inftruction. To the fame purpofe Paul fays, Eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things, which God hath prepared for them that love him; but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit'. And he adds, The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, nei-ners have of God, and of the ther can he know them, becaufe they are spiritually difcerned.' Our Saviour alfo fpeaks of revealing himself unto his own people, as he doth not unto the world. Thefe, and many other paffages of fcripture, which might be mentioned, prove that God is graciously pleafed to communicate to his faints fuch knowledge of divine things, as he does not give to other men. The knowledge here fpoken of, is not merely different in degree, but in kind, from that which oth-hufbandman, concerning his bufiers poffefs, in common with the nefs, differs from the ideas of it, faints. For this reafon, the things which he could communicate by that they know, are called the words, to a favage of the wildermyfteries of the kingdom of heav-nefs, who had never feen any thing en. The Chriftian knows by experience the nature of holinefs, and the difference between that and fin. He has a direct knowledge, what thofe things are, which in the fcriptures are called regeneration, repentance, faith, love, obedience, communion with God, Chriftian comfort, divine fupport and joy in the Holy Choft; and he has an experimental acquaintance with the other things which the bible mentions, relating to the Chriftian

Our life. He has been in the practice. of them himself, and therefore when he reads of them in the word of God, or hears of them in the fanctuary, or elsewhere, he underftands the ideas meant by the words. Chriftians also are the only people, who know any thing of the moral beauty and amiableness of the character of God, and of Chrift, and who are acquainted with the excellency and loveliness of God's moral government. To others there is no form or comeliness in Chrift, why he should be defired, and they have no delight in the law of the Lord; while Chrif tians taste and fee that the Lord is good. The knowledge, which fin

things of religion, is communicated to their understandings by books and descriptions; but Chrif tians enjoy the teachings of the Spirit. Thefe learn religion, and the nature of holiness and divine things, not only by book, but also by practice. This knowledge of the fpirituality and excellency of the divine life, and of the things of God, differs from the ideas of others on thefe fubjects, much more than the knowledge of an

of the kind. The knowledge of the Chriftian is experimental, the ideas of others are derived from report and hear-fay; and they form faife and inadequate ideas of all these things; and of many of them they have no notion at all. They are wholly ignorant of their richnefs and excellency. They know not the Lord. Hence it is, that when a finner is firft brought into the kingdom of Chrift, the Bible appears new to him, and the things

Accordingly God confiders them as veffels fet apart for himself, and he inftructs, purifies and enriches them, for his own ufe and fervice, to any degree he pleafes. But this is not the cafe with other men, who remain the enemies of God. They are left to the direction of their own evil hearts, and are veffels of wrath fitting for deftruction. They, by their evil ways, judge themfelves unworthy of eternal life, and God turns from them to his own people.

of which it treats, very different | Redeemer. from what he expected to find them, if he fhould become a Chriftian. Chriftians receive glorious inftructions, by the teachings of the Spirit, which are communications made, not immediately to their understandings, but to their hearts, by which they are enabled to fee the beauty of holiness. The fpirit of Chrift is in them. When one of Chrift's apostles asked him, How is it, Lord, that thou wilt manifeft thyself to us, and not to the world? He replied, that both the Father and himself would come and take up their abode with them. This refpects a fpiritual intercourse, between God and Chriftians, in which their spiritual life and comfort confist. This can be known to none, but fuch as partake of it.

The preceding obfervations are fufficient to fhow us how it comes to pass, that regeneration, faith and many other things, spoken of in the holy fcriptures, are fo differently understood by different people. Real believers, who have not only a fpeculative, but a practical knowledge of them, understand all the effential things of re

But

among all denominations.
thofe, whofe notions of religion
are derived only from books and
information, and often from mif-
information refpecting it, are very
liable to mistakes. They have
hearts oppofed to true religion, and
to the doctrines of the bible; they
wish them to be different from what
they are, and are prepared to em-
brace fome of thofe falfe reprefent-
ations of them, which have been
devised, and are industriously cir-
culated, by the enemies of truth.
They love darkness, rather than
light. Here is room enough for
the introduction of endless differ-
ences, without a fufpicion, that
they arife from any obfcurity in
the word of God. Such men ful-

Let me obferve further, that it is not only true, that the diftinguish-ligion alike, in all nations, and ing love of God, to his own people, has led him to give fuch peculiar privileges and instructions to them; but that it is evidently fit and reafonable, that God fhould give them fuch privileges, and make fuch fpecial difcoveries of himfelf, and of divine things to them. They are his peculiar people. He hath chofen them, from a world of enemies, to be to the glory of his grace-to be the examples and monuments of his unfpeakable goodnefs and mercy. They are fingled out, to be the reward of Chrift's mediatorial work; it is therefore fuitable, that God fhould, for his own fake, pour out upon them of his Spirit in abundant meafures, and afford them all fuch inftructions and communica-fil the predictions of the fcriptures, tions, as are neceffary, in the beft manner to fit them to answer his defigns, that they may be illuftrious witneffes of the greatnefs of his mercy, and an honor to their

by wrefting them to their own deftruction. We ought not to be furprised at the errors invented and circulated by men, who have no perfonal acquaintance with true re

ligion, and whose evil hearts dispose | them to embrace error, in preference to truth. But if any man, (faith Chrift,) will do his will, he fhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God.' And an apoftle, Speaking to Chriftians, fays, Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.'

nifhed. Then goeth he, and ta keth with him feven other fpirits, more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the laft ftate of that man is worfe than the first,' Such men are not Chrif tians; they have not that knowl edge, which the bible tells us, is peculiar to Chriftians, and therefore their want of knowledge and experience in these things, is so far from proving that they are mere delufion, that it only proves that themfelves are in the broad way, that leads to death. And fince this divine knowledge is revealed to Chriftians only, it is not strange that many others, fhould disbelieve and deny it, notwithstanding the evidence we have of it, in the holy fcriptures.

The foregoing obfervations show alfo the propriety of calling true religion, experimental religion, to diftinguish it from the opinions of men, who have had no experience in it.

Thefe obfervations will alfo lead us to difcover whence it comes to pafs, that there are fome men, who do not believe in the neceffity of awakenings, convictions, converfions and fuch carneft attention to the things of religion, as fometimes take place among men. They do not believe in that, which is fometimes called experimental religion, to diftinguish it from that, which confifts in nothing more than a reputable morality, and a formal attendance on the ordinances of the gofpel. The reafons given, why they do not believe in fuch things, very commonly are, that they never experienced any thing of the kind, or that, at fome Finally, It appears from the former day, they were under con- foregoing obfervations, that a man cern of mind, but it wore off, and must be a Chriftian indeed, that left them as they were before, and he may have any competent knowl therefore that they know, by their edge of the nature and exercises own experience, that there is noth- of Chriftianity. This is life eing in fuch things, but enthufiafmternal, to know thee, the only true and delufion. By this account of God, and Jefus Chrift, whom thou themselves, they defcribe thofe, haft fent.' MIKROS. who are reprefented by feed fown on ftony ground, which fpringeth up fuddenly, but foon withereth away. Instead of drawing this falfe and dangerous conclufion, it is earneftly wifhed, that they would feriously confider this admonition, given them by our Lord, the unclean fpirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, feeking reft and findeth none. Then he faith, I will return into my houfe, from whence I came out, and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept and gar

When

FOR THE CONNECTICUT EVAN-
GELICAL MAGAZINE.
Genefis xvii 23. "And Abra-
ham tock Ifhmael his Son, and
all that were born in his houfe,
and all that were bought with his
money, every male
amorg
men of Abraham's house; and
circumcifed the flesh of their fore-
fkin, in the felf fame day, as
God had faid unto him.”

H

the

AD we fufficient light to direct our inquiry, it might

be of fome importance to understand upon what ground it was, that circumcifion was administered to Abraham's household. When God first inftituted a feal of his new and gracious covenant, and gave an exprefs command that it fhould be adminiftered to all the males of Abraham's family, it would be reasonable to fuppofe, that the conditions upon which it was to be applied were fuch as God defigned fhould be obferved, in his church, in all future ages. As this was the original institution of a feal, and was defigned, not only to diftinguifh and feparate the family of God from all others, but to initiate and introduce into it; it is reasonable to suppose, that the pofterity of Abraham would follow his example in its adminiftration. Not only fo, but it will be hard to admit, that the terms upon which God originally directed any to be circumcifed, were different from thofe upon which he afterwards required the feal of circumcifion to be applied.

were circumcifed only on Abraham's account, without any regard to their own perfonal qualifications, is, at least apparently, inconfiftent with the directions afterwards given, by the God of Abraham, refpecting the administration of the feal of the covenant of grace. Juft before his afcenfion, Christ directed his Apofstles, Matt. xxviii. 19," Go teach, (disciple) all nations, baptizing them". Under the Chriftian difpenfation, baptifm takes place of circumcifion, and is a feal of the fame covenant of promife-the fame righteoufnefs of faith. But if the Apostles of our Lord were not to administer this feal to thofe, to whom they preached, until they were discipled and appeared to embrace the Christian faith; there needs fome caution in admitting the fuppofition, that, by the exprefs command of God, it was to be administered to adults, under the former difpenfation, without any regard to their perfonal characters-and merely because they were fervants to one, whe was himfelf a believer. Abraham's household was made up of men of various ages. Before the inftitution of circumcifion, he had upwards of three hundred trained

It feems generally to have been regarded as a clear cafe, that the men of Abraham's houfehold, though of various and different ages, and many of them as capable of judging and acting for them-fervants, who were born in his own felves, in matters of a religious nature, as Abraham himself, were, nevertheless, circumcifed, not in teftimony of their own, faith, but of Abraham's Confequently, that they, none of them, received circumcifion as a feal of the rightcoufhefs of their own, but of his faith. The following confiderations may be fufficient to render it doubtful whether the aduits in Abraham's family, and men far advan-exprefs direction of the Head of ced in life, were circumcifed, not on their own Lut on Abraham's account, viz.

1. The apportion that they

house. These were as capable of embracing the faith of Abraham, as the Gentiles were, of embracing the Chriftian faith, when the Apoftles were commiffioned to preach to them, and baptize. And as the Chriftian baptifm is no more a feal of the righteousness of faith, than circumcifion was, under the former difpenfation, it is hardly admiffible that the latter, by

the church, was heretofore to be adminiftered to adults, without any regard to perfonal character; when faith in the promife is now made